Janice Smith Collins

Growing up in a small farming community, Janice Smith Collins learned an important truth that has served her well in the corporate world – that no matter what someone’s job, role or title might be, people appreciate honest, direct communication. “We all have the same basic needs,” Janice said. “I always try to help people understand their role and why their work matters.”

Janice, who joined ROI in 2015, has served in communications and employee engagement roles for nearly two decades. Beginning as a journalist, she moved on to work in marketing for Caterpillar and then Equipp.com, an online auction start-up. Next, she rose through a series of communication roles at Gateway, where she ultimately served as the computer company’s Director of Internal Communications. A similar ascent at Washington Mutual led to her appointment as the bank’s First Vice President of Internal Communications.

Later, Janice served as the Director of Internal Communications at Yahoo! before spending several years as a consultant at Brilliant Ink – an internal communications and employee engagement firm. Immediately prior to joining ROI, she served as a Vice President of Employee Engagement and Change Management at Weber Shandwick, the global PR firm, where she advised a range of Fortune 500 companies.

In all of these roles, Janice created strategies to build employees’ understanding of their organization’s strategy, their role in achieving key goals, and the importance of their daily work. “We always have to answer the question: Why should someone care? If we can’t come up with a compelling reason, our communication isn’t going to be effective,” she said.

Both as an executive and consultant, Janice advised CEOs, led teams and managed projects involving a wide range of initiatives, including communications strategy, change management, and program design and measurement. Projects included social media, branding, mergers and acquisitions, intranets and product launches, among others.

Janice, who lives in San Rafael, earned a BA in English from Michigan State University and has pursued additional studies in strategic management at the University of California, San Diego. When she’s not working, she enjoys wine tasting with friends, spending time with her husband and children, hiking through ancient redwood groves, and working on home improvement projects.