Laura Petrecca loves a good story.
After nearly 25 years of contributing to some of the nation’s top publications, she is certain of this: every person has a compelling personal tale.
That was the case with the Key West treasure hunters she followed as they dove for sunken gold, as well as for the Macy’s workers she trailed as they constructed Thanksgiving Day Parade floats. And it certainly was true of the survivors, first responders and friends of the deceased she profiled for a piece about 9/11 tattoos.
Laura is adept at unearthing truths and trends, and prides herself on finding interesting, unexpected angles. This enables her editorial work to stand out from the deluge of daily content that most of us receive. While at USA Today, her stories earned homepage and front-page placement — with many pieces ranking among the most popular of the day on all digital platforms.
She is a strategic, detail-oriented project manager who has worked on blog launches, podcast promotions, e-learning initiatives and a wide range of other editorial endeavors.
Through her experience at trade and consumer publications, Laura knows how to reach a mass audience, as well as how to create and distribute compelling business-to-business content. As editor of USA Today’s business section, she oversaw day-to-day operations as well as outlined the broader strategy for print and digital success.
Laura readily provides insights and analysis on panels, videos, satellite media tours and TV programs. Her TV appearances include the Today show, Good Morning America, Inside Edition, Access Hollywood and CNN. Her speaking engagements include the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Advertising Week and a multitude of entrepreneurship-related events.
Laura is also a mentor and coach who has taught undergraduate and graduate journalism classes. She was the keynote speaker at the 2016 Smart Woman Securities national conference for undergraduate students interested in financial careers.
She has a master’s degree in journalism and a certificate in economics and business journalism from Columbia University, as well as an undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Maryland.
Testimonials from Laura’s LinkedIn profile:
- “(Laura) is truly an expert in her craft. During our time together she drove the strategic direction of our editorial content initiative. She provided strong insight, thoughtful perspective, and truly amazing content.”
- “I would trust Laura to run any media project, any event, or any team of journalists or creative people any time.”
- “Laura meets any challenge with energy, creativity and grace. And success.”
- “If you have a critical task that needs to get done right and on time or are in need of a top-flight manager who leads by example, then you won’t find any better candidate than Laura Petrecca.”