# Stacey Paynter

> Stacey Paynter is the founder and CEO of Strategic Connections, LLC, a San Francisco Bay Area strategic planning and brand consultancy she launched in 2004 after a career spanning some of the largest names in global advertising. As former CEO of Publicis Dialog's San Francisco office and COO of EvansGroup, she co-authored the 'Holistic Communications' framework later adopted worldwide by Publicis Groupe. Today she advises C-suite executives on brand strategy, customer acquisition, and operational transformation — and serves on the board of the OSET Institute as a Brand, PR & Media Advisor.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at Strategic Connections, LLC
- **Organizations:** Strategic Connections, LLC, OSET Institute
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Arts (with honors), San Francisco State University
- **Known for:** Co-authored the 'Holistic Communications' media-neutral framework, which was adopted and rolled out worldwide by Publicis Groupe., As COO of EvansGroup San Francisco, transformed the office into the most profitable in the 9-office network., Built and led Publicis Dialog's San Francisco office as CEO, serving marquee clients including Hewlett-Packard, L'Oreal, Wells Fargo, and Whirlpool.

## Career timeline

- **Early career** — Began in the corporate identity industry working with Castle & Cooke, Dole, American Canners and Growers, Chevron, and Clorox.
- **~1985-1998** — Spent approximately 13 years at EvansGroup, rising from Production Manager to COO and Board Member. Turned the San Francisco office into the second-largest and most profitable in the 9-office network.
- **~1998-2004** — Served as CEO of Publicis Dialog's San Francisco office, part of the world's third-largest global communications firm. Led strategy for clients including HP, L'Oreal, Wells Fargo, Whirlpool, and Microsoft. Co-authored the 'Holistic Communications' media-neutral framework later adopted worldwide by Publicis Groupe.
- **2004** — Founded Strategic Connections, LLC, a strategic planning and brand consultancy advising C-suite executives on brand strategy, revenue growth, customer acquisition, and operational infrastructure.
- **Ongoing** — Serves on the Board of Directors of the OSET Institute (Open Source Election Technology) as Brand, PR & Media Advisor.

## Achievements

- Co-authored the 'Holistic Communications' media-neutral framework, which was adopted and rolled out worldwide by Publicis Groupe.
- As COO of EvansGroup San Francisco, transformed the office into the most profitable in the 9-office network.
- Built and led Publicis Dialog's San Francisco office as CEO, serving marquee clients including Hewlett-Packard, L'Oreal, Wells Fargo, and Whirlpool.
- Founded Strategic Connections, LLC in 2004 and sustained it as a boutique consultancy for over 20 years.
- Advises CEOs, COOs, heads of sales, marketing, and HR at companies including Bank of America, CDW, Eisenhower Medical Center, El Camino Hospital, and Lifescan (Johnson & Johnson).
- Board of Directors member at the OSET Institute, contributing brand and communications expertise to election technology nonprofit.

## Latest updates

- **2025-01** — Listed as Board of Directors member at OSET Institute in the Brand, PR & Media Advisor role.

## Links

- Website: http://stratconnections.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceypaynter/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/strategicconnec
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/pages/Strategic-Connections/287929137896481

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/stacey-paynter
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-15