MEET OUR TEAM

Our senior public relations and digital communications team provides expert-level counsel.

We love what we do and it shows.

From the days we were founded in 2001, there are many of the same faces on our roster now – as they were some 19 years ago. We want to deliver the best work you’ve seen – and we want to do it in tandem with you – as a client and as a partner.

Beth Trier: Founder and Managing Director

A veteran of the communications industry for more than 20 years, Beth is a results-driven communications professional with extensive experience in the technology industry. She has a proven track record in leading successful public relations programs for companies in a variety of markets, including enterprise software, mobility, retail and financial services. Adept at repositioning existing companies, promoting new markets and launching companies, Beth’s creative approach consistently drives business objectives through strategic communications. Beth began her career as a journalist with the San Francisco Chronicle. Moving into PR, Beth worked for Apple for several years before joining Burson-Marstellar as VP of the technology practice.

Beth has guided Trier and Company’s steady growth through numerous milestones. Starting as a small consultancy in 2001, focused on B2B PR, Trier’s first client was Accenture. Then, Informatica. Then, Ariba. And so it began. In 2006, with a team of six, Trier opened a B2C PR group and focused on web companies servicing consumers in the retail and mobile sectors. In 2010, the content marketing practice opened. In 2012, with more than 15 team members in San Francisco and London, Trier’s social media and digital marketing practice launched.

A storyteller at heart, Beth has set the path for Trier’s partnership with a number of the world’s most recognizable technology brands, as well as emerging leaders, to create award-winning, high-impact integrated communication strategies.

Liz Gebhardt: Senior Vice President of Strategic Development

Liz is a senior branding and media strategy executive and brings more 20 years of experience to Trier and Company. She has intensive experience working with the founders and senior executives of both scrappy startups and established Fortune 500 companies. She is a master at facilitating working sessions focused on structuring and articulating business, product, competitive and internal/external communications strategies.

As also award-winning creative and technical producer, she is passionate about translating those strategies into tactical programs and storytelling on both digital/social and traditional media platforms, building thought leadership, market awareness and customer engagement.

Liz’s portfolio of client engagements include: Apple, Starbucks, Skoll Foundation, HP, Google, Netscape, Salon.com, various brand agencies, startups funded by Kleiner, Sequoia, First Round and various VC angels. Liz has served as an advisor and consultant to founders at several seed stage startups. She has been a mentor at MatterVC, a startup accelerator in San Francisco and also at the Future of Social Journalism Hackathon.

Ember Harker: Vice President of Digital Marketing

As the Vice President of Digital Marketing, Ember is responsible for leading and evolving the agency’s global digital offerings. Tenacious, analytical, results-driven, she values smart ideas, effective communication and hard work above all else. With over 20 years experience in digital marketing and design, Ember has developed a specialty in integrated program development which has resulted in successful executions spanning multiple channels of engagement.

Whether building brand awareness, growing lead acquisition efforts, analyzing campaign results or driving SEO tactics, Ember helps clients to effectively leverage a 360-degree digital and social strategy to meet their business objectives. Ember’s work with Trier’s clients encompasses concept strategy, design and development, digital media planning and execution, digital optimization and improved web experiences to name a few.

Ember is also the founder of LaunchSnap.com, a long time creative partner of Trier.

Fanny Kim: Vice President of Content Marketing Practice

Fanny works with Trier and Company’s global technology clients to oversee the development and implementation of strategic content marketing campaigns. Fanny has represented established brands, including Pfizer, BMW Technology Group, Wikimedia and technology startups, such as Instacart, Nes Computing, and Twenty20. Prior to Trier and Company, Fanny was a public relations executive at the prestigious New York City public relations and marketing firm, Rubenstein Public Relations.

Alicia Nieva-Woodgate: Vice President of Media Relations

Alicia is the ultimate corporate communications professional. She has applied her creative energy, get-it-done style and knack for problem solving to Trier and Company since 2007 and is a key player in the agency’s success. Prior to Trier and Company, she was director of corporate communications for Opsware Inc. (NASDAQ: OPSW), located in Silicon Valley. There, she oversaw all aspects of the company’s international public relations, media relations, analyst relations, and customer reference programs.

Alicia, or Lish as we call her, joined Opsware from Mediabolic, a digital home entertainment middleware provider, where she was acting director of corporate communications. Prior to Mediabolic she spent four years as a strategic communications consultant, and a freelance writer, published in Teen Magazine and Sports Illustrated for Women.

Alicia was a director for Phase Two Strategies’ B2B services. There she headed up such accounts as PeopleSoft and Intraspect. She joined the agency from buzz Divine, a divine interVentures Company, where she was part of the media relations team and oversaw International PR.

Alicia began her PR career at Crosby Securities, Inc., in New York City as Manager of Media Relations and Marketing. Before working in PR, she spent six years at various other Wall Street firms, including Drexel, Burnham & Lambert; Kidder, Peabody & Co. and Banco de Investimento Garantia, now part of CSFB.

Valerie Beaudett: Vice President of Digital and Media Communications

Valerie Beaudett has over 17-years of experience that spans a broad spectrum of marketing functions marketing communications, public relations, analyst relations, thought leadership, digital/social communications and customer reference programs for technology companies. Valerie’s primary function is strategic public relations including messaging and positioning, media relations, analyst relations and building customer references to fuel the technology PR engine.

Over the years Valerie has not only built solid media relationships, she has used her creativity in crafting narratives and stories that drive coverage for our clients. She has worked in both larger corporations and start-up environments and has experience in messaging, positioning, launches, copywriting, and blogging.

Valerie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Pre-Law from San Francisco State University.

Kim Morrison: Vice President of Client Services

Kim’s responsibilities consist of two main areas – developing and monitoring key accounts, and managing Trier’s clients, both in the US and in Europe.. On the client servicing side, she works with the senior team on campaign planning and meeting objectives, ensuring the campaigns run successfully. She has significant experience of kicking off campaigns and getting them up-and-running quickly. Kim is also responsible for identifying ad hoc press opportunities, responding to breaking news and is among the contributors in the agency’s content marketing practice.

Daniel Craig: Senior Director of Social Media

Daniel brings 10 years of agency and new media experience to Trier and Company, working across small CPGs, national financial organizations and global consumer electronics companies. At Trier, in partnership with the digital team, Dan is plans and implements the agency’s social media, influencer marketing and community development. This background and his thirst for all of the latest technology makes Dan a knowledgeable and important piece when crafting the cross-platform puzzle.

Dan’s award-winning work has been applied through Allstate’s Mayhem campaign, Esurance and Samsung, among others. As the Director of Social Media for Trier and Company, he executes the voice of the client across a variety of social media channels and verticals. His work has focused specifically on growing community engagement through cross-channel and platform events, like NCAA sponsorships, and executing sweeps, games and contests in the social space. Whether he’s replying on Facebook, optimizing video SEO on YouTube or planning an editorial calendar across platforms, Dan looks for new ways to authentically make engagements and opportunities in the social space.

Julie Seymour: Senior Director, PR & Content

Julie is a collaborative communications professional who helps all types of companies – from tech startups to large B2B enterprises – create and tell their stories to key stakeholders including the press, customers, prospects, investors, influencers, and employees. She is highly skilled at creating, directing and scaling multi-channel content strategies, providing organizations with strategic communications counsel and arming them with crisp, compelling messaging that strengthens their brand and competitive advantage.

Julie brings 20+ years of B2B and B2C experience to the team, including technology (semiconductors, software, AI/machine learning, cybersecurity), healthcare, and financial services.

Nancy MacGregor: Director of Content Marketing

Nancy is a seasoned communications professional with nearly 25 years of experience. She has a broad understanding of business and industry trends, and the issues related to marketing technology products in a highly competitive landscape. Her experience spans many types of B2B and consumer technologies, including: digital marketing, wireless/networking, security software, financial services technology, search, e-commerce, online media/publishing and more. She has worked with technology companies including SLI Systems, Ruckus Wireless, TagMan, iCurrent (acquired by the Washington Post), and Eloqua, among others. She works closely with clients to garner a deep understanding of their business and industry, and maps out creative story angles and approaches – both traditional and non-traditional – to communicate key messages to target audiences in a compelling way.

Mary Placido: Director of Public Relations

Mary Placido is a seasoned communications professional with 12+ years PR experience both agency and in-house with a diverse skill set in planning and strategy, project management, writing, and media and analyst relations. Her experience expands mobile and wireless, enterprise, retail, finance, healthcare and clean technology industries. She has worked with start-ups to global companies and organizations from Bling Nation and Cellfire to Yahoo!, Infosys, Singapore Economic Development Board and Equinix. She also has expertise in Asian communications working with Asia-based companies launching or expanding into the U.S. market and U.S. companies looking to reach Asian-American audiences.

Eli Kirtman: Content Marketing Director

Eli has an unsolvable problem – he’s hooked on cybersecurity. His first call to security spawned from the depths of the Pacific Ocean during his service as a U.S. Navy submariner. From sea to foreign service, Eli then spent over a decade investigating nefarious crimes around the globe – preventing terrorists and foreign adversaries from stealing U.S. money, and compromising sensitive U.S. technologies and weapons – mostly in Afghanistan and throughout the Middle East. Answering his dream to write, he retired the gun and wielded his pen to forge a path home in 2019. Dubbed by the editors at Cybercrime Magazine as one of the top ten cybersecurity ghostwriters to watch in 2021, Eli’s passionate about spinning captivating B2B copy and content for SMBs and large enterprises across sectors in the cybersecurity community. His only other addiction, he admits, is infinite doses of caffeine to keep him churning out great assets for his clients.

Genny Harrison: Director of Influencer Marketing

Known online as the worst gamer ever, Genny is also simultaneously known as a ninja at social media. Her portfolio includes notable technology brands like PlayStation, OUYA, Tivo and OEM giant, ArcSoft. With her keen sense of social media trends, Genny has spearheaded strategies and implementation to help achieve any and all social media goals by seamlessly blending social prowess in conjunction with her killer aptitude for getting things done – regardless of the global time zone.

While she is experienced in working in cross-functional teams, interacting with engineers, marketing teams and board advisors, she never loses sight of the ultimate goal: keeping social media communities engaged, excited and always growing.

Spending six years in the heart of Silicon Valley, Genny reported directly to a former VP of Microsoft, learning awesome buzzwords such as ‘ship blockers’ and ‘synergy’. She ultimately found her niche by adding a human side to corporate marketing.

Maissa Dauriac: Director of Media Relations

Maissa Dauriac brings more than 12 years of media relations and strategic communications experience, with a proven track record in leading successful public relations programs for companies across diverse industries, including technology, telecom, mobile, wireless, consumer, lifestyle and non-profits.

Over the years, Maissa has worked with a variety of clients including Sony, Nokia, Sonance, Symantec, Spireon, Certes Networks, GTT Communications, Zipwhip and Lucas Arts. She also launched the iPort, the industry’s first in-wall, in-home docking station for the iPod.

Maissa has worked with both mid to large-sized PR agencies including Ketchum, Cohn & Wolfe, PMK/BNC, Roher Public Relations, Edge Communications and Calysto Communications.

As an Account Supervisor at Faiola Davis Public Relations, she oversaw video game and technology accounts for Eidos Interactive, Rioport, Symantec and Disney Interactive. Maissa is known for her strong content development skills and her passion for developing story ideas that push new boundaries. Her broad range of experience includes everything from executing media events and product launches, to influencer programs and co-branding partnerships.

Maissa excels at innovating creative, strategic programs and media relations that drive business goals forward. She has garnered results in top-tier broadcast, business and trade publications including, CNN, FOX, Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Reuters, Bloomberg, Forbes, USA Today, Washington Post and Newsweek.

Andrea Nieto: Director of Speaker’s Bureau and Awards Programs

A key member of Trier’s team since the early days in 2004, Andrea serves as the director of our speaker’s bureau and awards program for our clients, ranging from entrepreneurs to CEOs. She provides media training, secures speaking engagements at conferences across the country, encourages the press to use our experts as sources for their stories and develops client/customer panel opportunities at targeted vertical industry events. Andrea has a solid background in both B2B and B2C technologies.

Aisha Rasul: Director of Social and Digital Marketing

Aisha is a social media and digital marketing strategist. She began her career in social media with Navy Federal Credit Union in 2009. An early adopter, she has seen the growth and development of social media and digital marketing and understands its nuances, value, and potential. She has worked with leading technologies companies developing social and digital media programs including Sprinklr and Engage121.

Aisha received a bachelor’s degree in Finance from George Mason University and an Associate’s Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University. She has served as a company chairperson for the Blue Council at SocialMedia.org and currently serves on the board for Social N Worldwide. Aisha values diversity, understanding others’ perspectives, and real-life experiences.

Satchi Johnson: Account Director of B2B Technologies

Satchi has more than a decade of experience in PR and marketing working across many different industry sectors both in the US and the UK. Campaigns have included thought-leadership and brand awareness programs, as well as launch activities, events, analyst outreach, customer testimonials and issues hijacking.

Satchi works hard to ensure strategies are developed into media-focused campaigns. Her extensive experience means she has an eye for a good story and can follow up with compelling content, which generates results. She has worked on PR campaigns for a wide-range of brands including Sony, Deloitte, Capgemini, SAP, Success Factors and Wind River Systems. Additionally, she has spent the last several years with Trier building marketing programs and managing communications for some of the most successful companies in mobile and tech.

As VP of digital marketing services, Erica is responsible for developing integrated content marketing programs to support the strategic integration of content into the clients ‘digital and social campaigns, SEO strategies, content optimization, measurement and lead nurturing.

David Baily: Investor Relations Consultant

Formerly a stockbroker with Merrill Lynch, David is a well-known investor relation professional exclusively for technology companies. His area of expertise is investor relations marketing, investor relations communications and crisis communications.

With such clients as PeopleSoft, SAP and Logica, David brings a global approach to IR to Trier and Company. In the days of the dot com, when IPO’s were as ordinary as a morning latte, he worked with emerging technology companies including Mediaplex, Digital Think, CMGI, Roadhouse and Mastermind. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford and Masters of Business from UC Berkeley.