Gordon Cole
Gordon Cole is president of P2R Associates and a seasoned executive. He has a depth of leadership, operational, business development, marketing and corporate relations expertise that spans more than 30 years. He has a talent for business strategy, planning and program execution that is reflected in a track record of success for P2R and its clients.
After its launch, P2R quickly grew, gaining numerous automotive suppliers, OEM and related clients including: Continental AG, Intermet Corporation, Northwest Airlines, ANXe-Business, Toyota, Cerion and more while winning many national and regional awards for marketing, advertising and public relations programs and client success. Over the years its growth and success expanded into other market segments including: aerospace/defense, banking, non-profit, political campaigns, government, finance, real estate, and more.
Prior to founding P2R, Gordon served as Global Director, Public Relations and Investor Relations, Visteon Corporation and was a member of Visteon’s Top 100 Executive Team. He developed and directed an international corporate communications group; and led all corporate, internal, and external public relations, including investor relations, for the $18 billion-dollar, Fortune 100 company.
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Earlier, Gordon served as president of Levinson Public Relations, in Dallas, Texas, leading a 52 percent growth in revenue and turning in the best bottom-line performance in the firm’s 35-year history. He oversaw and helped launch numerous client start-up companies in banking, tech, professional services, and telecommunications during the dot-com bubble. His successful business strategies helped clients drive new business, acquire multiple rounds of financing, and achieve successful public offerings. In addition to support for a diverse client base, he served on the Executive Management Team for the combined $100MM business and structured a highly successful acquisition for the firm.
Gordon’s professional resume includes a successful career as a Navy Public Affairs Officer. He held command positions seven times and served in leadership roles on US Combatant Command staffs including: U.S. Transportation Command; U.S. Strategic Command; Office of the Chief of Information for the Navy; Department of Defense Public Affairs; and worked directly for the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs.
He served in leadership roles at major Navy and Joint major exercises in Europe and the Pacific. These include RIMPAC, the largest Naval exercise in the world, where he was Chief of the International Public Affairs staff. Gordon has extensive crisis experience with international media gained during numerous events, including while on the CINCUSNAVEUR staff in London, where he handled international media during the 1999 US bombing of the Serbs in Kosovo.
At the Navy Office of Community Outreach, he led a staff of 35 and directed more than 20 major, high-visibility Navy Fleet Week events around the U.S. While part of the Navy’s dedicated Media Training Team, he trained numerous high-ranking Naval Officers and SES staff. He was recalled to active duty in support of Operation Desert Storm and has received numerous awards for his service. Earlier in his active-duty career he headed the Advanced Subjects Division at the Defense Information School where he led the department, oversaw the curriculum, and taught. Gordon retired as a Navy Captain after 31 years of combined active and reserve service.
He remains active in his community and serves as Vice President and Public Relations Chair of the Detroit Navy League; a member of the State of Michigan Aerospace Defense Caucus where he chairs the Small Business Outreach Committee; and served for years on the Board of Trustees for Life Directions, a Detroit-based peer-to-peer mentoring program for at-risk youth. He is also Commander and Executive Committee member of American Legion Post 147.