Mark Dollins

Mark Dollins is president of North Star Communications Consulting, a consultancy with core capabilities in employee/change communications strategy and communications talent development. Founded in 2011, North Star has provided corporate communications consulting services to clients that include Visa, Toyota, Louis Vuitton, Xerox, PepsiCo, Tropicana Brands, United Technologies/Raytheon and Signet Jewelers, among others. He’s currently an adjunct professor with the University of Missouri School of Journalism, where he instructs  on employee communications and engagement.

In January, Mark was featured in Fortunes Time magazine as being among the 10 Most Influential Leaders in PR & Communication 2024. His consultancy was named Best Communications Consultancy by Acquisition International in 2023, and he was named one of the Top 10 Business Leaders to Follow in 2023 by Chief Navigators. His college text book, Engaging Employees through Communication, was published globally by Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group Press in Fall 2021.

Mark’s previous corporate experience spans more than 30 years with Fortune 500 companies. It includes serving as head of Executive & Global Employee Communications for DuPont, where he created and executed communication strategies that engaged 35,000 employees in the Company’s growth initiatives, and empowered 8,000 people leaders to measurably engage their teams during the company’s $130B merger with Dow.

He previously spent 17 years in executive communication leadership roles with PepsiCo. He was SVP and Chief Communications Officer at Pepsi Beverages and PepsiCo Americas Foods; and SVP of global internal communications, among other senior corporate roles. He led communications for PepsiCo’s 2011 acquisition of its anchor bottlers and ran merger communications for PepsiCo’s acquisition of The Quaker Oats Company, where he was VP of Corporate Communications. While at Quaker, he led both Corporate Communications and brand communications for Quaker, Life and Cap’n Crunch cereals, Aunt Jemima syrups and mixes, Rice-A-Roni, Gatoradeand Tropicana juices. He also led corporate public relations, internal communications, government affairs, philanthropy and community relations.

His career with PepsiCo followed 10 years in the energy sector, running Corporate Communications for Northern Indiana Public Service Company, and leading employee communications for Indiana Michigan Power/American Electric Power.

Mark began his career in broadcast and print journalism, working with ABC News and other print news outlets. He currently serves on the Forbes Communications Council and UVA’s Darden School of Business Communication Leadership Council. He previously served on the national advisory council of George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs, served for eight years on LSU’s journalism advisory board for the Manship School of Communications, and has held a seat on The Conference Board’s Change & Transformation Council.  

He received a bachelor’s degree in Radio/TV from The George Washington University, and a master’s degree in organizational communications from Purdue University. He also is certified in Prosci Change Management, is a silver-level certified USA Wrestling coach, and four-time national USA Wrestling masters folk style champion and national place winner in Greco Roman wrestling.