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Matt Barkett leads Dix & Eaton's Crisis Management & Strategic Legal Communications practice, where he applies his broad-based experience in media relations, crisis communications, litigation PR and reputation management. The insightful strategic communications counsel he provides clients draws upon his background in senior roles with international and domestic public companies, in agency public relations and as a journalist.
Since joining Dix & Eaton in 2005, Mr. Barkett has played key roles in several high-impact engagements, including the communications effort for International Coal Group following the Sago Mine disaster in West Virginia and media relations for Northwest Airlines during a strike by the airline’s mechanics. More recently, he advised London-based Imperial Chemical Industries (NYSE:ICI and LSE:ICI) on its $16 billion merger with Dutch coatings giant Akzo Nobel, including development and direction of all transaction and crisis communications activities for the company’s North American paints division.
Mr. Barkett previously was communications director for the North American operations of ICI Paints, where he served as the company’s top communications and public relations officer and reported directly to the CEO. In that capacity, he directed mergers and acquisitions communications, legal communications, investor relations and marketing communications activities related to the North American business for the parent company in London. He was particularly instrumental in counseling ICI regarding ongoing lead paint litigation concerns in the United States.
Earlier, Mr. Barkett served as group director, national media relations for Qwest Communications International (NYSE:Q) in Denver during the firm’s highly publicized $50 billion merger with US West. He directed national media relations and served as lead corporate spokesperson for Qwest on mergers and acquisitions, financial media relations, crisis communications, union/retiree issues, business communications and legal actions.
Mr. Barkett also served as director of corporate communications for a subsidiary of Liberty Media Group (NYSE: L), the programming arm of AT&T Broadband and Internet Services. He began his career in 1991 as a newspaper reporter in Arkansas, during the early days of Gov. Bill Clinton’s run for president. Mr. Barkett holds an MBA in marketing and a Bachelor of Arts undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado. | 