Donna J. Uchida

Donna Uchida offers her clients the experience of a senior-level executive with results-oriented management experience in strategic communications including change management, employee engagement, issues management, global communications, risk communications, media relations, executive and financial communications.

Currently, Donna provides on-site communications counsel at Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, where she supports CEO and leadership communications. In addition, Donna and the Gagen MacDonald team conducted a channel audit and supported the CVM Leadership Forum. She also provides counsel to Grant Thornton International as the organization embeds its global vision, values and guiding behaviors throughout its global network of firms.

Before joining Gagen MacDonald, Donna served as the vice president of communications for CropLife America, Washington, D.C., where she revamped the communications function to be effective and responsive to members and media around issues affecting the pesticide industry through science-based communication. Formerly, she was the global head of communications for Arysta LifeScience, Tokyo, where she led global external and internal communications to build and maintain corporate reputation for the world’s largest privately-held life science and crop protection company. She successfully spearheaded the transition of 45 subsidiaries in more than 140 countries to adopt a single name and corporate identity without disruption to the business.

As the senior director of internal communications for Gap Inc., San Francisco, Donna introduced Gap Inc.’s purpose, values and behaviors to the company’s top 1,100 leaders as part of a business transformation effort. She led the team responsible for all planning and implementation of corporate communications in support of Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy brands as well as Gap Foundation, HR and consumer insights.

As senior director of internal communications, Oracle Corporation, Redwood Shores, CA, she built the first global employee communications function in a 25-year-old company with 44,000 employees. Her work included the creation of a worldwide employee portal site. She revamped the face-to-face Oracle Beat program creating employee dialogue with senior management.

Other past positions include vice president of corporate communications, Wells Fargo & Company, San Francisco; group vice president, Ketchum, San Francisco; and communications manager, Levi Strauss & Co., San Francisco.

Education:
Colorado State University, Ph.D. coursework in Sociology; risk communication
University of Denver, M.A., Mass Communication
University of Denver, B. A., Political Science & Mass Communication