Pivot is a communications agency revolutionizing communications and change management in the Twin Cities market.
Pivot Strategies has over 300 years of combined experience working with Fortune 500 companies and some of the world’s most admired brands. We’re experts in organizational change management, internal communications and training.
We have developed a knack for connecting the right people to the right projects on the right teams. Our team is equipped to navigate complex working environments and problem-solve to reach diverse audiences through a multi-channel approach.
We’re a team of creative thinkers and relentless do-ers. Growth excites us and we are always finding new opportunities, projects, clients and industries.
Are you a communications rockstar? Want to join a growing team with a fantastic culture? Check out our careers page.
Pivot Strategies is proudly. . .
Stacia Nelson is the Founder and CEO of Pivot Strategies, a communications agency revolutionizing employee engagement through internal communications and change management. As a leader, Stacia has doubled revenue and team growth year-over-year since founding Pivot in 2015. Stacia has deep experience in corporate communications, crisis response and planning, reputation management, brand marketing, IT strategic communications, change communications and corporate social responsibility.
Stacia began her career at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce as one of the youngest lobbyists in the state of MN. Following this, Stacia was the director of PR at Cambria before joining Target’s PR and reputation management team.
As a new mom, Stacia looked for a company where she could be part of a large brand, but also have flexibility. When she couldn’t find it, she built it. At Pivot Strategies, she built a people-first model focused on attracting former corporate communicators and providing them with benefits not often seen in corporate environments, such as flexible work, unlimited PTO, self-care workshops, profit-sharing and no meeting Fridays.
Stephanie Joranson serves as the president of Pivot Strategies. In Joranson’s role as president, she runs the company, working closely with the leadership team on the day-to-day operations and oversight of the business plan and profit & loss. She currently also serves as head of client experience where she manages client retention and satisfaction, and oversees the development and growth of the team.
Joranson joined Pivot with more than 15 years of communications leadership experience. She most recently served as the director of internal communications at Medtronic where she led the company’s enterprise employee communication strategy and team, and focused on driving understanding of Medtronic’s business strategy and priorities among employees globally. Before Medtronic, Joranson spent ten years with the global communications agency Weber Shandwick building and sustaining positive reputations with internal and external audiences for a variety of brands.
Erin Hetikemp serves as the senior vice president of operations. In this role, Hetikemp oversees all finance and administration functions which includes financial reporting, human resources and systems/IT.
She brings more than 20 years of experience driving operational and sustainability initiatives across multiple industry sectors including airlines, investment, and food and agriculture. A hungry and experienced driver of change, Hetikemp has served in multiple executive leadership roles overseeing functions including sustainability, marketing, branding, communications, procurement, supply chain, and industry and policy affairs.
Krysta Larson serves as the vice president of growth. In this role, Larson oversees all sales and marketing for the company’s fast-growing business. As a marketing and sales leader, she brings an omni-channel approach to lead generation and customer growth that results in year-over-year revenue gains. Larson’s marketing leadership experience spans brand and creative management, event strategy and planning, content and social media marketing, and digital marketing. She applies a test first, learn fast and scale smart approach when leading growth teams.
Larson brings more than 20 years of experience to the Pivot team. Before Pivot, Larson served as the VP and head of marketing for Skykit, a digital signage software company. Prior to that she held numerous marketing and communication roles at DTN, C.H. Robinson, Weber Shandwick and the University of Minnesota.
Cathy brings more than 30 years of experience to the Pivot team, including running her own communications consulting business for 18 years after working in corporate and agency roles. Cathy’s broad expertise includes over a decade leading CSR and ESG reporting projects — ideal background for her role as Pivot’s ESG Reporting and Sustainability Communications Practice Leader. She is a strategic, versatile communicator adept at delivering targeted communications and reporting solutions for clients across a variety of industries.
Christina brings 25 years of communications and project management expertise to Pivot clients and fellow consultants as a Practice Lead. Her passion is stakeholder and employee engagement. She serves as a guide for the agency’s internal communications team supporting consultants through mentorship and thought leadership. Christina is a certified Project and Change Manager and is a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner, enabling strategic communications that are expertly crafted and delivered to the right people at the right time to move organizations forward.
Tonya brings more than 30 years of experience in corporate communications for several Fortune 250 companies across a variety of industries including aerospace, financial services, healthcare, logistics and food and agriculture. Through her work, she has a passion for simplifying the complex. She’s a versatile team player who enjoys working on a variety of communications projects.
Anna is a versatile communications expert driven by a passion for collaborating, writing and driving efficiencies. With over 10 years of experience in Communications, Anna is successful in delivering strategic solutions by performing needs analysis, organizing resources and building constructive relationships. She is always excited to jump in, learn quickly and achieve results.
A purpose-driven communicator and strategist, Brandy leverages more than 20 years of corporate and non-profit experience to advance clarity and connection, ethical leadership, culture enhancement, change adoption and talent experience. She works closely with executive leadership teams to define and deliver on KPIs to measure results, adjust as needed and share that progress with the broader team. Brandy uses her wide-ranging expertise to unify diverse stakeholders, identify shared values and work toward a collective goal.
Barbara brings her thoughtful and results-driven approach, along with 20 plus years of strategic communications experience to the Pivot team. This consistent approach has proven successful in a vast array of industries, including medical device, healthcare, pharmacy benefits, retail and non-profit. Whether it’s a surgeon, patient or employee – Barbara thrives on removing the complexity to communicate with clarity to drive the desired results.
Conlan brings a mix of corporate and agency experience to Pivot, where he strives to help clients meet their communications objectives and bridge the gap between them and their audiences. Conlan’s background runs the gamut of communications strategy, but he is most passionate about communications technology and efforts to create a more modern workforce.
Small-town journalism experience spurred Holly’s passion for writing and ongoing pursuit to inform and inspire audiences through stories and straightforward content. Holly has nearly 10 years of writing and editing experience within industries spanning technology and finance to health care, and continually challenges herself to learn new industries and skills. She loves transforming complex information into easily understandable and actionable messages.
Jamie brings 20 years of HR communications experience to the Pivot team. As a communication consultant, she builds and executes comprehensive communication and change strategies using a thoughtful and results-driven approach. She’s passionate about employee engagement and simplifying complex messages. Jamie has experience in consulting for all areas of HR in the hospitality, agricultural and financial services industries.
Jenny brings more than 17 years of experience in internal communications across the travel & hospitality, manufacturing, insurance, construction and supply chain industries. In addition to providing executive communication support, she has both led the internal communications function and developed and implemented strategic change communications for multiple functional areas, including operations, sales, finance, HR, marketing, brand, products and technology. She believes in the power of communication to inform, engage and inspire employees to drive change and achieve business goals.
A former business journalist, Jenny Niemela has spent more than twenty years telling impactful, meaningful stories about companies and the people who power them. After her newsroom days, Jenny moved into the content marketing agency world, and then ran her own content marketing practice for seven years before joining Pivot Strategies. Jenny is an irrepressible creative with a business mind: She has an MA in literature and an MBA from the Carlson School, and she loves bringing that left-brain/right-brain combination into her work with clients.
“Think like a marketer. Act like a change agent.” It’s John’s mantra when working to accelerate the digital change journeys of Fortune 500 organizations for the past 20 years. Expect his deep expertise in developing and deploying organizational change-management strategy & readiness activities, building and writing communication campaigns, and managing sponsors, teams & projects to educate, align, and engage all stakeholders in critical business initiatives. John also brings a fresh energy that inspires everyone to have a little fun along the way and make change stick. Proven. Creative. Gritty. Count on John for digital change leadership that sparks business transformation.
Jon joined Pivot with 25+ years of technology, operations and change management internal communications experience. Jon is a recognized storyteller who uses focused listening and a persistent curiosity to understand business needs and build communications that deliver results. He is skilled at translating esoteric or arcane language for general consumption, and he has specific experience communicating to drive behavior change. Jon has extensive experience in financial services and held a Series 7 certification while working in the industry.
Kate specializes in the development and implementation of strategic communication, training and change management plans to help clients achieve success. She partners closely with organizations to understand their needs by actively engaging business partners and key stakeholders. Kate brings eight years of experience, most of which was spent working on IT, Office 365, Med Device and SAP projects.
Kathy is a curious, collaborative and insightful senior communications leader who excels at fostering connections to people, organizations and business priorities. She has more than 15 years of experience as a consultant and corporate communications leader with an extensive background in healthcare as well as in consulting for utilities, financial services, manufacturing, consumer goods and transportation organizations. She spent 10 years at UnitedHealth Group focused on increasing employee engagement and leading a consumer education program.
Kirsten is a collaborative, thoughtful, and strategic communications professional with a passion for translating business strategies and priorities in creative and meaningful ways for a variety of stakeholder audiences. With more than 15 years of agency and corporate communications experience, she brings a unique perspective to her work, drawing from her background supporting diverse industries, including agribusiness, energy, food safety, healthcare, hospitality, technology, and more. Kirsten has also served as lead on numerous corporate social responsibility initiatives in addition to leading HR, DEI and Health & Safety communication programs.
Kris brings 20+ years as an accomplished strategic communications leader from the financial services industry. She is focused on delivering the highest quality outcomes and has experience that spans from communications to strategic initiatives to thought leadership events. Collaboration is at the heart of her approach ensuring that everyone is aligned and informed all while achieving desired outcomes. Her wide array of communications experience ranges from product launches to migrations to crisis events and she knows how to navigate complex initiatives.
Lydia partners with cross-functional teams and business leaders to understand complex business issues, distill them into digestible content, and develop a communication plan that engages its intended audience. As a communications consultant, she works to “connect the dots” between strategies and their desired outcomes using an empathy-first approach. Her experience includes merger communications, employee engagement initiatives, executive communications and strategic internal communications. Before joining Pivot Strategies, Lydia managed communications at several of Minnesota’s largest law firms. She is the 2021 Chair of Minnesota’s Legal Marketing Association.
With more than 15 years experience in internal communications, Megan thrives developing clear, concise communications that inspire and engage. Priding herself as an all-around “utility player” Megan has extensive experience in various disciplines including change management, executive communications, strategic planning, M&A and employee engagement. As a creative problem solver, Megan enjoys finding novel solutions to complex communications challenges and leveraging storytelling to shape employee experiences.
Ramona brings more than 25 years of corporate experience to Pivot specializing in internal employee communications and change initiatives. Having worked in several industries such as professional services, financial services, banking, and energy, she has helped companies develop communications programs for many functional areas including HR, finance, operations, product, sales, marketing, and technology. She is a true brand ambassador helping companies build their employer brand, employee experience and shape their culture.
For more than 15 years, Sara has been helping organizations effectively connect and engage with audiences and stakeholders. With experience across a variety of industries, she knows how to distill complex topics into easy-to-understand messages that will inform and resonate.
Regardless of the topic, when it comes to communications, Sara finds joy in simplifying the complicated. She approaches her assignments with an open, inquisitive mindset, and strives to learn the necessary details quickly and thoroughly to ensure the communication plans she creates achieve the desired business objectives. Sara has nearly 20 years of corporate communications experience in a variety of industries, including retail, healthcare and banking.
Tatiana is a project management master and an accomplished change management professional. She has global experience working for organizations such as Deloitte, ADP and Cirque du Soleil. Her extensive areas of expertise include culture transformation, immigration processes, HRIS implementations, mergers and acquisitions, diversity and inclusion initiatives and HR projects.
Paul has been a design professional, front-end web developer, and marketing leader for over 17 years. His versatile career spans multiple industries, including businesses-to-business, eCommerce, and higher education. Paul has an extensive background in leading in-house design teams and building efficient creative production workflows. A visual problem solver by trade, Paul enjoys using his skills as a designer to tackle just about any challenge that comes his way.
Wil brings 10+ years working in the creative field to Pivot, with expertise in visual, graphic and web design. Originally from Wisconsin, this Milwaukee native came to Minnesota to study graphic design at the University of Minnesota. Wil specializes in branding, providing complete identity needs including logo and web design, marketing materials, social media development and brand voice. A strong believer in the power of positive thinking in the workplace, Wil regularly develops internal wellness campaigns to assist employees with effective mental health techniques.
Jake is an accomplished web design leader with over 16 years of experience managing the design and implementation of multiple websites and online applications for desktop and mobile. He has BFA with an emphasis in computer animation and video production.
Bailey is our in-house relationship builder, connection maker and talent manager. She manages the recruiting, hiring, onboarding and everything in-between for our team. Her passion is building and growing teams that align with the culture and values of Pivot. Before her life at Pivot, Bailey has worked exclusively in recruiting, employee engagement and human resources in a variety of industries and company sizes. A natural people person, she has spent her career connecting with others, understanding their personal and professional goals and matching them to their perfect role.
Annika is a professional who brings energy, enthusiasm and a fresh perspective to talent acquisition and organizational culture. After graduating with a degree in psychology and theater, Annika gained experience in a variety of corporate settings before discovering her passion for recruiting. Annika specializes in combining organizational structure and analytical thinking with creativity and empathy to foster positive company culture and successful growth trajectory for her team.
Tom has more than 20 years of experience in business and helps Pivot with finance and human resources. Tom spent most of his career as a lobbyist for Minnesota businesses, specializing in tax and labor policy. He enjoys working with Pivot’s leadership to keep the finances on track.
Dan has been involved in Pivot operations from the very beginning. He has worked on finance, taxes and HR issues and has a work history in communications, public policy and non-profit operations. Dan is most excited to provide a great environment for Pivot employees and to keep things rolling smoothly. Extra fun fact: He is also available for medical advice as the only RN on staff.
Rachel brings more than 14 years of experience in marketing, market development, public relations, and sales primarily in the telecommunications space. She specializes in building acquisition strategies “from the ground up” and operationalizing them across complex organizations. Fueled by challenge and teamwork, she loves digging into the “unsolvable” with talented partners. Originally from the Eau Claire area of WI, Rachel has a B.S. in Marketing Communications from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls and is currently pursuing her Executive MBA with the University of St. Thomas (MN). She lives in South Saint Paul with her partner and their dog, Frannie.
Savannah is a ambitious creative with an impressive toolkit of marketing interests and skills, including writing, graphic design, social media, and communications. She is passionate about developing cohesive and appealing campaigns that will leave a lasting impact. Savannah has worked with a wide variety of clients, bringing the very best strategies and content to the forefront of their marketing communications through her adaptability, positivity, and creative expertise.
Impact drives Becca. She is passionate about KPIs and process, but is also an incredible communicator and storyteller. Becca’s ability to create compelling campaigns and tell a sticky story help make Pivot’s work so effective. The same applies for her ability to set and track goals for projects that are traditionally hard to measure.
Mark Lindley brings more than 25 years of experience in the field of corporate communications. He has worked in a wide variety of sectors, including manufacturing, telecommunications, food ingredients and consumer goods. His background extends to all sectors of the communications field, including such areas as corporate branding, strategic message development, employee engagement, change communication, crisis communication and executive positioning and speechwriting. He has created and executed internal and external communication programs in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.