Alexis Goubran
Manager, Employee Communications
Northrop Grumman Corporation
IABC Member since 2007
What if the size of your communications community could fill several football fields? What if some of the recipients of your messages live in far-flung locations? These are a few of the challenges Alexis Goubran faces as manager of employee communications at Northrop Grumman Corporation. A leading global security company with employees in more than 50 countries relies on the dissemination of accurate, timely, and diverse information and Alexis helps make that happen. A citizen of the world, she speaks French, Italian, conversational Spanish, and elementary Arabic, and has lived in several regions impacted by her work. However, Los Angeles is where she calls home and finds balance in her career. Read on to learn about the role gastronomy plays in helping Alexis find that balance.
Birthplace
Los Angeles, California
Current residence
Los Angeles, California (it may seem as if I haven’t strayed too far, but I’ve actually lived in Paris, Strasbourg, London, and Washington, D.C.). Los Angeles just has a way of drawing you back.
Favorite quote
“If you don’t risk anything, you risk even more.”
–Erica Jong
Three words that best describe me
Hard-working. Loving. Genuine.
When I’m not working, you can find me
Eating at a new restaurant. I’m a self-proclaimed foodie. I’ll try anything … almost. While travelling in Chicago, I had my first taste of sweetbreads. Not as bad as I had anticipated, but I don’t think I’ll be ordering a plateful for myself any time soon. You will also find me spending time with family and friends. It sounds cliché, but it’s truly my favorite thing to do.
MY LIFE IN COMMUNICATIONS
The biggest communications challenge I have faced in my current role…
I am responsible for communicating to the whole of Northrop Grumman, all 120,000 employees located in different parts of the U.S. and the world. Several thousands of our employees do not have computer access—some in shipyards, others in clean rooms. Often times, my messages are geared to specific audiences within those audiences—the top leadership of the company, for example, or just those employees located in Southern California. The challenge is to switch gears quickly and ensure that my message is adequately tailored to my audience—because the next message will surely be going out to a different group of employees (if not to all of them).
In my role, I also need to play “connector.” In such a large corporation, the two people who ought to be speaking to each other and coordinating efforts often aren’t—and the challenge here is to connect the right dots and the right people, and help move efforts forward.
And of course, the other big challenge that all communicators face today: competition for employees’ attention, which intensifies every day. We are constantly looking for innovative ways to get our messages across to our various stakeholders.
My favorite communications memory is…
It’s hard to know if we’re actually reaching employees and making a difference, especially when we receive responses telling us we send out too many e-mails. But every so often we get a positive message that reminds us of why we do what we do. One of those came from an employee in Charlottesville, Virginia, who wrote, “I truly appreciate all of the communications that have been coming out within the last several weeks. The information and updates provided [help me do my job better].” I have her email on my wall for motivation.
The most important communications or professional lesson I’ve learned is…
Sometimes you just have to pick up the phone and call.
Advice I really find useful and recommend to other communicators are …
Never stop reading, never stop networking, never stop attending conferences, and never stop learning.
OH, HOW FAR I’VE COME
I completed a dual-degree program and received one master’s in global media from the London School of Economics & Political Science, and another in global communication from USC Annenberg. I enjoy what I’m doing now, but I would like to eventually transition to international communications. And one day, I’d like to communicate the efforts of a non-profit organization—whose hard work too often goes unnoticed.
Experience
2008 – Present
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Manager, Employee Communications, Century City Corporate Office
2006 – 2008
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Senior Representative, Employee Communications, Century City Corporate Office
2004 – 2006
Hill & Knowlton (H&K) Assistant Account Executive, Media Relations
Town Hall Los Angeles (THLA) Assistant to the Director of Media Relations
2002 – 2004
McMaster-Carr Supply Company
Sales Development/Marketing Analyst
Education
M.A., Global Communication, University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication
MSc, Global Media and Communications, awarded with merit, London School of Economics & Political Science
B.A. cum laude, Languages, Major: French, Georgetown University, Faculty of Languages and Linguistics
Georgetown University Study Abroad Program, Universités de Strasbourg, Institut d’Etudes Politiques, and Université Marc Bloch Strasbourg, France
This profile was edited by IABC-LA member and volunteer Cheryl Farrell.