From Tom Kelleher discusses his first experience in Public Relations · · Oxford Academic (Oxford University Press)
“When I got to the job I was really surprised at how much people really love their work in public relations; they love strategy, they loved the writing and it was a lot of intellectual work.”
On , Thomas Kelleher, Co-Founder, Co-Chief Executive Officer & Director at B. RILEY FINANCIAL INC, spoke about public relations during Tom Kelleher discusses his first experience in Public Relations on Oxford Academic (Oxford University Press).
In 2016, Kelleher discussed his entry into public relations, recalling that he secured an internship after meeting a vice president of marketing while bartending at a holiday party. He said he was surprised to find that professionals in the field "really love their work" and described the job as involving strategy, writing, and intellectual effort. Kelleher added that he continues to find communications exciting because it allows him to promote things he likes and use his writing and strategic skills. In 2019, Kelleher, as chair of the advertising department at the University of Florida's College of Journalism and Communications, asked alumni and friends to donate to the program. He stated that donations of any size help bring industry professionals to review student portfolios and that the percentage of alumni who give is a key metric for the department's success.