Karl Gentles is the president and CEO of Karl Gentles Public Relations (KGPR), a public relations consultancy specializing in building strong, credible brands and reputations across a broad spectrum of industries including financial services, economic development, nonprofit, real estate, political, and sports. Current clients include Bank of the West, Back to School Clothing Drive, Spiral Incorporated, PowrFone, Nightlight After Hours Pediatrics, and Catch the Vision Ministries. KGPR clients are located in Phoenix, San Francisco, Oakland, and Houston.
Prior to forming KGPR, Gentles served as director of corporate communications for USAA, a diversified financial services firm serving members of the military and their families. At USAA he directed all employee and public communications, and led USAA's successful effort to win the 2003 Best Place to Work in the Valley of the Sun award from The Business Journal of Phoenix and the Great Place to Work Institute.
As manager of media relations for the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Gentles directed a highly successful national and international media and public relations campaign resulting in a significant increase in media placements about Greater Phoenix in publications around the world. Placements include The Economist, London Times, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Yomiuri Shimbun, Agence France Presse, Barrons, Kiplingers Personal Finance, and Business Week amongst others.
During his tenure as assistant vice president and corporate relations manager for Bank One, Gentles specialized in government relations and directed the bank's Political Action Committee to its highest fundraising and employee participation since its formation. He also managed a regional division of the bank's marketing group, and community development and reinvestment earning the highest Community Reinvestment Act rating from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
Gentles began his career as a staff assistant to U.S. Senator John McCain specializing in business and economic development and immigration issues. Amongst his accomplishments he organized one of the first business missions to Kuwait after the Persian Gulf War.
Karl is a graduate of Arizona State University with a bachelor's degree in Organizational Communication and a Masters in Business Administration. He holds an Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America. Karl is a member of the PRSA National Advocacy Advisory Board, National Association of Black Journalists, and a director of the Phoenix Industrial Development Authority.
