John R. Horne
A no nonsense ceo tells what he wants and doesn't want from his pr counselor.

When John Horne told PRWeek that his relationship with Maril MacDonald was "aggressive, loud, and volatile," he meant it as a compliment, not a criticism. "I like to debate issues and find solutions," he said, "and Maril does, too, so it's all about finding solutions."

Horne, who is chairman, president and CEO of Navistar, the parent of International Truck and Engine Corporation, was the keynote speaker at Spring Seminar 2000. A straight-talking engineer with more than 30 years in the truck-building business, he obviously enjoyed a good relationship with MacDonald who was his vice president of corporate communications until leaving in March to devote full time to her growing PR agency, Matha MacDonald. He also has a great appreciation for the value of communications. Along with her predecessor, Mary Moster, and her successor, Greg Elliott - both of whom were in the room - MacDonald is credited by Horne with providing the kind of PR leadership every CEO is looking for. But it wasn't always easy.

"It's taken a long time for some of us to realize the importance of communications," Horne said, "and to recognize that public relations is much broader than it was in the past. Although CEOs have changed a lot too, there are still macho CEOs who feel they can make all the decisions - and some of them can. But I decided a long time ago that I was smart enough and confident enough that I didn't have to have all the answers. I found that it's nice to have good people around you who can do a lot of those things."

Most CEOs don't know what they want, he said, so you want a PR person who is not afraid to speak up. "If I'm not willing to listen, then the communications people aren't strong enough."

Horne listened when surveys showed that employees didn't believe that there was any leadership or strategy at the top. "We were cascading information down," he said, "but we weren't communicating. We realized we had to change the culture if we wanted to get through the barriers and communicate our vision for the company."

A lot of key executives went along reluctantly, Horne said, and others had to be separated. "Their belief systems had to be in sync with the culture," he added.

Communications became a core value. "Everything we did in the company," Horne said, "started with how we communicate, how we explain what we do. If we can't communicate to the people who are important to us, then we're wasting our time."

When MacDonald suggested that face-to-face visits at all of the company's plants was a way to get employees engaged, Horne was reluctant to try it. He didn't think it would work and besides he had a business to run. But once he did, once he opened the door, there was no turning back. Horne is still holding 15 to 18 plant visits every year. "I found that meeting with employees is real two-way communications," he said, "and that it can make a difference."

MacDonald also convinced Horne to be more open with the press. "At the time," he said, "we were practicing defensive communications. We hoped no one would talk about us, and when they did, then we tried to figure out how to defend ourselves." They had a particularly stormy relationship with The Wall Street Journal, and Horne was determined never to talk to its reporters again. MacDonald, who admits to never being afraid to get into the boss's face, intervened and convinced Horne of the importance of maintaining a good relationship with the paper. As a result, in the late 90s, Navistar went from The Wall Street Journal's list of worst performers to its list of best performers.

So what does a CEO like John Horne expect from his chief public relations officer, or as he likes to put it, "from the team, because it's more than one person"?

"The first thing is to know the business," Horne said. "We need your functional expertise, but it's more important that you understand our business needs.

"You need to bring solutions to our business needs. Get away from the functional control of things. Be part of the solution.

"At the same time, you have to sell your ideas, not just to the CEO, but to everyone else. Nobody owns anything by position any more.

"Finally, you need to have a dream about how you can help change the company and a passion for following that dream. When you make it more than just a job, you'll become part of the team."