Carol J. Makovich is a Principal at Owen Blicksilver Public Relations, Inc., a position she has held since June 2007. Primary responsibilities focus on media relations, crisis and financial communications, and executive coaching and support. Prior to joining Owen Blicksilver Public Relations, Ms. Makovich served as vice president, Communications, for Lenovo Group, then the world's third-largest personal computer maker. In that role, she oversaw all external and internal communications, including global media, industry analyst and employee communications as well as corporate and financial communications. Prior to joining Lenovo, Ms. Makovich was vice president, Communications for IBM's Personal Systems Group, and before that she served as vice president, Worldwide Communications, for RJR Nabisco, Inc. and as a managing director of Hill and Knowlton, Inc., an international public relations agency, leading the Financial Relations Division at the firm's New York City headquarters office. Ms. Makovich also held communications positions at proxy solicitor Georgeson & Co. and at People's Savings Bank, a major New England-based banking institution. She began her career as a reporter for The Bridgeport Post (now known as The Connecticut Post). Ms. Makovich holds an undergraduate degree in Journalism from the University of Rhode Island; she is currently a member of the President's Council at the University and of the Executive Advisor Board of URI's Harrington School of Communication and Media. In addition, she holds master's degrees in Communications from Fairfield University and in Business Administration from the University of Connecticut.