Sue Johnston, MBA, ABC

Aided by her knack for cutting through the clutter and presenting ideas clearly and imaginatively, Sue's done almost everything a professional communicator can do and she's done it in many roles (writer, reporter, trainer, coach) and contexts (corporation, non-profit, small business). She helps you focus on what’s important and translate your ideas into actionable messages your audience will understand. (The truly curious can see details in her résumé —  31 KB.)

Formal education and experience give her a grasp of both the theoretical dynamics and the practical aspects of communicating, one-to-many or one-to-one, in and about the business world. A passion for learning keeps her ever on the hunt for fresh ideas that continue her development as a professional.

Sue earned an MBA from Royal Roads University in Victoria, BC, Canada, specializing in Communication Management.

Through the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), she’s earned the Accredited Business Communicator designation. She is a past Regional Chair for that organization.

She has also received certification (IAC-CC) from the International Association of Coaches

But more important than credentials, Sue has earned the trust and confidence of employers and clients by consistently producing quality work that meets or exceeds their expectations.

Andrew Annett - MBA, PMP

With a history of leading major IT projects in a variety of settings, Andrew operates where business, technology, and communication intersect. He brings to It’s Understood extensive knowledge, practical experience and a variety of formal techniques that ease the process of requirements definition.

His innate curiosity makes him an enthusiastic and thorough researcher, and he is skilled at teasing out the relevant information from the most confusing of situations. He knows how to set the stage for success through planning and exploiting technology to achieve your business goals.

Andrew earned an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. He is also an accredited by the Project Management Institute as a Project Management Professional (PMP)

Associates

We are proud to be part of a lively and interesting network of people in related businesses.

Eric Bergman, ABC, APR, MC

Eric Bergman is the principal of Bergman & Associates, a consultancy that specializes in communication training & issues management.

During his 24-year career as a communications professional, Eric has worked in virtually every facet of public relations and organizational communication, earning more than a dozen local, national and international awards for his work. Today, his business is focused on teaching his clients to communicate effectively through what he calls the medium of face-to-face communication. He has developed two primary communication products: presentation skills training ( Presenting With Ease) and media spokesperson training ( At Ease With the Media).

His presentation skills training program teaches that effectiveness is based on fundamental principles of face-to-face communication. He encourages his clients to use presentation visuals as an aid not a crutch, and he offers additional online resources that his clients can access at their convenience.

On the media training side, his work challenges the traditional advice of "staying on message." At Ease With the Media is based on the perspective that the job of spokespeople is to manage media interviews to a win-win. To do that, they must answer questions clearly and concisely, then find places to weave in, not drive home, messages important to their organization's success. Eric's train-the-trainer guide for media training, Media Training With Excellence: A Balanced Approach was published by IABC in November 2006. Based on sound communication and coaching research, its purpose is to provide public relations practitioners and organizational communicators with the tools to develop a media training program of their own.

Eric's workshops, seminars and one-on-one coaching have improved the communication skills of thousands of professionals, managers, salespeople, politicians and senior executives. He also consults on strategy, positioning, issues management and message content.

As his career has progressed, Eric has expanded his scope through his volunteer activities with the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), at the local and national level, and gaining strong insight into the professional "state-of-the-art" internationally. In 2002, Eric received the IABC Master Communicator Award, the highest distinction bestowed upon an IABC member in Canada.