# Mary Shank Rockman

> Mary Shank Rockman is the San Francisco-based founder, CEO and principal of MSR Communications, an independent public relations and digital marketing firm founded in 1999. Her career spans technology advertising, corporate PR and executive communications, crisis response, and agency leadership. Her writing emphasizes preparation, clear language, sustained professional relationships and responsible use of AI.

- **Role:** Founder, CEO and Principal at MSR Communications
- **Organizations:** MSR Communications, Sybase, PR Boutiques International, Junior League of San Francisco
- **Education:** University of California, Santa Barbara
- **Known for:** Founded and led MSR Communications from 1999 through its twenty-seventh anniversary in 2026., Her LinkedIn profile lists five Platinum Hermes Creative Awards for the firm in April 2023., In October 2024, reported that The Myers-Briggs Company had been an MSR client for more than 17 years.

## Career timeline

- **1984-1988** — Attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, according to her LinkedIn profile.
- **—** — Began in technology advertising, then moved into product marketing and marketing services at an Apple peripherals vendor; was asked to establish its first PR department.
- **1998** — Identified as Sybase’s director of public relations in January San Francisco Chronicle reporting.
- **1999** — Founded MSR Communications, initially working from her living room.
- **2007** — Michael Burke and Crisel Ortiz Mills joined MSR in March, later becoming long-serving colleagues.
- **2019** — MSR marked its twentieth anniversary.
- **2024** — Marked MSR’s twenty-fifth anniversary with writing on agency leadership and technology shifts.
- **2025** — Published crisis-communications guidance and was advertised as a PRBI workshop speaker on restoring reputation after a crisis.
- **2026** — Marked MSR’s twenty-seventh anniversary in a July 15 essay on credibility and AI-driven discovery.

## Achievements

- Founded and led MSR Communications from 1999 through its twenty-seventh anniversary in 2026.
- Her LinkedIn profile lists five Platinum Hermes Creative Awards for the firm in April 2023.
- In October 2024, reported that The Myers-Briggs Company had been an MSR client for more than 17 years.
- Her LinkedIn profile lists PR News recognition of MSR as a Top Place to Work in PR in 2015.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Published a twenty-seventh-anniversary essay addressing earned media, connected communications programs, and AI-powered discovery.
- **2026-04** — MSR shared her Enhance AI Partners interview with Yohan Mejia on PR, trust and reputation.
- **2025-10** — Published an explanation of why an agency cannot guarantee authentic editorial coverage.

## Links

- Website: https://www.msrcommunications.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/msrcommunications/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/marysrockman

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/mary-shank-rockman
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-25