Last year when we unveiled the “new” V2, we also rolled out our Core Values—though they were not new, per se. Collaborative, Tenacious, Curious, Confident, Transparent and Real: these are the core values that have been woven into the DNA of V2 for over a decade—and have inspired our MV2P award.
Determining who would be a fit for the MV2P award is something of an “aha” moment: it’s someone who personifies our core values through and through. They’ve distinguished themselves over the past year (or years) as someone who embodies our culture, whose teamwork is uncompromising and whose attitude of positivity goes unmatched.
VP Kristen Leathers was last awarded the MV2P, and…drum roll please…we recently awarded the title to Account Manager Jill Saftel!
Jill is regularly applauded by clients, is tactful and diplomatic, and it’s been an absolute pleasure to see her grow and evolve as a professional and colleague since she started working at V2 as a Northeastern co-op in 2011. Let’s get to know Jill!
Tell us a bit about your background.
I grew up in Warren, Rhode Island, and attended Northeastern, where I studied journalism. Believe it or not, I first started at V2 as a co-op in 2011 and then interned again here during my senior year.
What drew you to V2?
Since I studied journalism, I wanted to use my co-ops as opportunities to explore what I wasn’t learning about in school, like PR. When I got to V2 to learn more about PR, I was totally drawn to the people and the opportunity. The work was really exciting, and I was always learning something new about PR or an industry. That, coupled with the fact that V2ers kept in touch with me post-co-op (Katelyn!), drew me back my senior year to intern and then stay on as an Account Coordinator as soon as I graduated in 2014.
What’s been your experience at the agency, growing from intern to Account Manager?
It’s been very full circle. One of the things I appreciate now is that things I never thought I’d be comfortable doing or be capable of doing—it feels like every week I’ve done something new. You push yourself at V2. Another thing I really appreciate is answering questions for my junior teammates that I once had – it’s like a mental check on your own growth.
I actually took a break from V2 for about 4 years – given my journalism background, I went to work at an investigative journalism nonprofit and later moved into the public sector. I certainly worked with many hardworking, extraordinary people during that time, but I didn’t encounter an entire team that worked as hard as the V2 team. I had truly grown up at V2 learning to work with a certain level of pace and care. I realized I couldn’t turn off that drive and when I had the opportunity to explore rejoining the V2 team, I knew I wanted to go back and became an Account Executive in 2018.
What’re some of your favorite campaigns/clients/industries that you’ve worked on while at V2?
I absolutely loved working with Horizons for Homeless Children, a nonprofit that V2 does work for. We did a PR campaign that was focused on them being a lifeline for homeless families during the summer, because their educational facilities stay open during the summer and we got a big feature in The Boston Globe—it gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling, like you’re doing something good.
I also really enjoyed working on a big segment on public safety technology for my client Rave for ABC’s Nightline. It was a really big opportunity that involved booking a last-minute flight to be on-site with Rave’s customer on Long Island for filming and pushed me out of my comfort zone—which pushes me to succeed.
More than anything, what I love about working at V2 is that we have the chance to learn about so many different industries—from education to enterprise IT to healthcare.
What’s your favorite part of working in PR?
I like that it’s never the same, for better or for worse. We’re always meeting and talking to new people, learning about new technologies and finding new ways to communicate.
What has surprised you about working in PR?
How flexible the PR industry is, and V2 in particular. Crazy things happen in the world and it impacts our job daily. No matter what happens, the journalists we work with keep finding ways to tell stories and we have to be creative and flexible and ethical in how we connect our clients to them.