Deirdre Breakenridge

Deirdre K. Breakenridge is chief executive officer at Pure Performance Communications. A veteran in PR and marketing, Breakenridge has counseled senior-level executives at organizations including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Blue Star Veterans Network, JVC, Marketwired, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), and Sysomos.

Breakenridge is the author of five Financial Times books. Her most recent book, Social Media and Public Relations: Eight New Practices for the PR Professional, was published in May 2012 and available in print and all digital formats. Her other books include Putting the Public Back in Public Relations, PR 2.0: New Media, New Tools, New Audiences, The New PR Toolkit, and Cyberbranding: Brand Building in the Digital Economy.

Breakenridge is an adjunct professor at New York University (NYU) and an online instructor for the UMass at Amherst journalism department, and she speaks nationally and internationally on the topics of PR, marketing, and social media communications.

Breakenridge is a member of PRSA, and has served on the board of the New Jersey Advertising Club. She also serves on the board of the Social Network Association, and is working with the founders on the #50Shows Empowering Women movement, giving women a voice and a platform through media. TopRank Online Marketing named Breakenridge among the twenty-five women that rock social media, and Traackr recognized Breakenridge among the top engagers in 2014.

Breakenridge blogs about the changing media landscape and collaborative technology at PR Expanded, and is the cofounder of #PRStudChat, a dynamic Twitter discussion scheduled monthly for PR students, educators, and PR pros.