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Laurie Hurst
Senior Director, Communications and Public Relations at PRA Health Sciences
Professional Background
Laurie Hurst is a distinguished and forward-thinking communications leader with an impressive career spanning more than 15 years. Currently, she holds the position of Senior Director of Corporate Communications at PRA Health Sciences, where she has established herself as an expert in developing and executing impactful internal and external communications strategies. Laurie's focus on fostering employee satisfaction and enhancing community engagement significantly contributes to the overall business-building results of the company.
At PRA Health Sciences, Laurie plays a crucial role in steering the organization's global communications response to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. Her adept communication strategies in this regard have ensured that both employees and the broader community receive timely and accurate information during these challenging times. Furthermore, she leads the communications strategy for the company’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) initiatives, demonstrating her commitment to creating an inclusive workplace that values diverse perspectives. Additionally, Laurie's skillful handling of M&A communications has been integral to supporting PRA's pending acquisition by ICON plc, showcasing her expertise in high-stakes communication settings.
Laurie's rich background in the public relations agency landscape has equipped her with extensive experience in managing communications for renowned consumer brands across various categories, including financial services, sports media, durable goods, and consumer packaged goods (CPGs). This comprehensive background illustrates her adaptability and proficiency in crafting successful communication campaigns that resonate with diverse audiences.
What sets Laurie apart as a communications leader is her belief in the power of teamwork and collaborative spirit. She subscribes to the philosophy that being part of a passionate and innovative team is fundamental to achieving both organizational and individual success. Rather than adopting a traditional managerial role, Laurie prefers to lead by example, acting as a coach and mentor to her team members and fostering an environment where creativity and collaboration thrive.
Education and Achievements
Laurie's academic credentials provide a strong foundation for her successful career in communications. She earned her Master of Arts (MA) in Corporate Communication from Duquesne University, where she honed her skills in strategic communication and organizational effectiveness. Prior to that, Laurie received her Bachelor of Science (BS) in Journalism and Public Relations from Ohio University, positioning her well to excel in both media relations and public relations.
Throughout her career, Laurie has held pivotal roles in various respected organizations. Before joining PRA Health Sciences as Senior Director of Communications and Public Relations, she served as Vice President at Taylor Global Inc., where she led communication efforts across multiple clients and industries, demonstrating her versatility and capability in managing complex public relations campaigns. Additionally, her early career as an Account Executive at Mullen equipped her with foundational skills in media relations and strategic communication development.
Achievements
Laurie's diverse portfolio encompasses notable achievements, including spearheading several company-wide internal communications initiatives that foster engagement and transparency among employees. Under her leadership, PRA Health Sciences has implemented successful strategies that have not only enhanced employee morale but have also elevated the company’s brand reputation in the healthcare sector.
In addition to her professional endeavors, Laurie is committed to making a positive impact in her community and beyond. She actively seeks opportunities for volunteer and pro bono work within the marketing and communications industry, reflecting her passion for social responsibility and her desire to give back to the community. Her support for Alzheimer's research further highlights her personal commitment to causes that can generate meaningful change in society. Beyond her professional pursuits, Laurie is an avid basketball fan, showcasing her energetic and sports-minded personality that inspires those around her.
Conclusion
In summary, Laurie Hurst stands out as a seasoned communications professional with a rich background in corporate communications and public relations. Her leadership role at PRA Health Sciences, combined with her commitment to community engagement and a collaborative working style, positions her as an invaluable asset in the communications landscape. Whether navigating the complexities of global health communications or mentoring aspiring professionals in the field, Laurie continues to influence and shape the future of effective communication strategies.
Contact Laurie
If you share similar interests in volunteer opportunities, pro bono work in marketing and communications, or simply want to connect over a love of basketball, Laurie welcomes outreach via InMail.
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Mesh works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Mesh offers several powerful features including:
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Mesh is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Mesh takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Mesh encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Mesh work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Mesh is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Mesh is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Mesh is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Mesh offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Mesh offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Mesh for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Mesh accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Mesh offers extensive integration capabilities. Mesh introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Mesh supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Mesh also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Mesh is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Mesh stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Mesh excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Mesh offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Mesh's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Mesh has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Mesh a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Mesh's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Mesh's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Mesh has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Mesh's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Mesh as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Mesh eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.