Kendall Bentz

Specialty: Managing long-term communications campaigns; managing speechwriting and other executive communications relationships.

Fields most served: Telecommunications, hospitality, management consulting, corporate social responsibility

Interview:

Q: How do you describe what you do at WHWG?
Bentz: I help corporate clients — generally Fortune 100 — with their communications efforts, helping CEOs with big speeches, promoting legislation before Congress, and handling litigation communications when clients are in major lawsuits.

Q: What kinds of clients do you have and what are they looking for from you?
Bentz: Mix of large companies and not-for-profit groups. They are generally looking to me for two things: advice and products — advice on communication strategy and tactics, with a heavy emphasis on message; products meaning op-eds, speeches, talk points, fact sheets and the like.

Q: What is most satisfying about your work for your clients?
Bentz: Intellectually stimulating projects are the most satisfying. Also very satisfying: a client who is willing to trust us and let us be creative, aggressive and not sweat the small stuff. That's when I have the most fun.

Bio:   Kendall Bentz has a decade of experience in organizing and executing communications campaigns for corporate leaders on high-stakes issues.

With a list of clients that includes the world’s leading blue-chip corporations, Kendall has helped clients build valuable relationships with some of the nation’s top scholars, think tanks and opinion leaders. He has led national message campaigns that moved public opinion on telecom and high technology issues, antitrust enforcement and mass tort litigation. He has helped organize the communications needs of dozens of government executives and leading CEOs, from global consulting corporations, to major lodging and hospitality firms, independent federal government agencies and non-profits.

A native of North Dakota, Kendall graduated with a degree in political science from Stanford University. In addition to working with the White House Writers Group, Kendall worked at the Hoover Institution, where he served as associate producer of a PBS public policy national television show called Uncommon Knowledge.