Carla Stanmyre McDonald

Carla Stanmyre McDonald, the founder and CEO of Dynabrand, is one of the leading consumer PR strategists in the country. Named one of the nation's "40 Under 40 Stars in PR" by the industry's leading trade publication, Carla is also the architect of Dynabranding, a brand positioning methodology, and a recognized expert on issues relating to PR, brand strategy, reputation management and consumer marketing.

Prior to founding Dynabrand in 2002, Carla spent more than 16 years working in PR firms in Manhattan. Most recently, she was Executive Vice President and Managing Director of the North American Marketing Practice for GCI Group, the global PR firm owned by WPP. At GCI, Carla was the top brand strategist for the firm’s North American clients, which included British Airways, Intel, Norwegian Cruise Line, Pharmacia, Procter & Gamble, Seagram and Starwood Hotels and Resorts, and led a team of nearly 200 professionals in the firm’s New York, Atlanta, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto and Mexico City offices.  Referred to by PR Week as “a force to be reckoned with,” GCI’s North American Marketing Practice grew by more than 400% in 30 months under Carla’s leadership, helping GCI earn its first-ever honor as the nation’s “Public Relations Agency of the Year.”

Prior to joining GCI, Carla served as Senior Managing Director and Director of the Consumer Marketing Group at Hill & Knowlton, another top global PR firm. The youngest Senior Managing Director in the company's history, Carla developed and implemented PR programs for clients including Cointreau, Cunard Cruise Line, Nantucket Nectars, Newman’s Own, Samsonite and Warner-Lambert.

Carla joined H&K from a boutique PR firm in Manhattan that specialized in promoting luxury brands. As the agency’s Executive Vice President, Carla co-ran the agency and led the firm’s largest accounts including TAG Heuer, Champagne Krug and Montblanc, a brand she is credited with helping to revitalize in the late 80s. In 1992, The New York Times referred to Montblanc as “one of the great marketing success stories of the last decade.”

Carla has experience on the client side as well, serving in 2000 as Chief Marketing Officer of Peranet, a web-based marketing services company. As CMO, Carla helped to rename and reposition the company and secure funding from venture capital firm, Sevin Rosen. Peranet was sold to Omnicom in 2001.

The recipient of numerous industry honors, Carla is a member of Faith Popcorn’s Brain Trust of national marketing experts, has been featured in numerous industry articles, is a member of the YWCA’s prestigious Academy of Women Achievers and lectures often on public relations, branding and media relations topics.

Carla, who lives in Austin with her husband and two young daughters, is also active in Austin’s non-profit sector. She currently serves on the boards of Arthouse and The Long Center for the Performing Arts and has helped raise nearly $5 million for Austin-area non-profit organizations. The recipient of the 2008 Community Service Award from American YouthWorks, Carla has been featured in articles in Texas Monthly, Austin Monthly, the Austin American-Statesman, Austin Woman, Brilliant, Inside PR and PR Week. Carla also serves as the host of News 8 Austin's "Arts Minute," a weekly television segment designed to make the arts more accessible.

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