Bonnie Nijst is President and CEO of Zeesman Communications, Inc., a full-service brand strategy, marketing and design firm where she brings more than 20 years of experience in sales, marketing, public relations and communications consulting to the integrated marketing programs the company creates. Zeesman’s clients have included HMSHost, Warner Home Video, Pioneer Electronics, Toshiba, Four Seasons Residence Clubs, Los Angeles World Airports, the City of Los Angeles, the City of Beverly Hills, Griffith Observatory, the W. M. Keck Foundation, Walt Disney Company, Rock the Vote and the University of Southern California.
Prior to joining Zeesman in 2000 and assuming her current role in 2003, she held senior management positions with Medialink, MCTV, PR Newswire and Marketwire. During her 11 years with Medialink/MCTV, she worked closely with a wide variety of global brands including Amgen, Apple, Amazon, Cisco Systems, Nike, Toyota and Adidas. One of the highlights of her tenure there was working with Intel on its legendary “Intel Inside” campaign to leverage outreach via TV and radio. She oversaw research to benchmark the awareness of the Intel brand in newsrooms, and was instrumental in popularizing the “PC Dads,” Intel’s consumer education spokespersons.
Active in the business and nonprofit communities, she is past president of the National Association of Women Business Owners – Los Angeles and past vice chair of the NAWBO-LA Foundation. She currently serves on the executive committee of the board of directors of the California Family Health Council, on the Advisory Board of Barco’s Nightingales Foundation, as vice chair of the Minority Business Enterprise Input Committee of the Southern California Minority Business Development Council, and on the board of directors of the Education Fund of the League of Women Voters Los Angeles. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Southern California and is a graduate of the Management Development for Entrepreneurs Program at UCLA Anderson School of Management.