Phil Z.

Go-getter
DISC Type : d

Head of Media Relations and External Communications at Smithsonian Institution

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Overview

Phil Z. is the Head of Media Relations and External Communications at the Smithsonian Institution, with prior leadership roles at Apple, The Washington Post, and Warner Bros. Discovery. He specializes in high-impact media campaigns for major brands and holds a B. A. from Lycoming College. Colleagues describe him as an innovator and a consummate professional.

Outside of work, Phil is defined by his tenacity, demonstrated by his seven-day climb of Mount Kilimanjaro. This experience reflects his core belief in seeing any commitment through to the end, no matter the difficulty. He is also interested in the work of The Walt Disney Company.

Unique fact: Despite wanting to quit nearly every hour while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, his perseverance drove him to the summit.

Personality Overview

Decisive

Challenger

Self-Confident

They don’t always try to control the conversation but neither do they like yielding it fully.  They can be nudged to make faster decisions by offering what they value. They focus on objectivity in a pitch and pay little attention to bells and whistles.

Topics They Care About

Cultural Storytelling
He leads communications for the Smithsonian's 21 museums, highlighting American stories through objects and exhibits in collaboration with partners like NPR.
Entertainment Publicity
He has a deep background in leading global publicity for high-profile scripted series at Apple and unscripted hits like "Deadliest Catch" and "Shark Week" at Discovery.
Major Brand Events
He has a history of spearheading large-scale events, such as orchestrating Apple's first-ever presence at Brazil Comic Con (CCXP) for over 4, 000 fans.

Media Appearances

Phil Z!'s Podcast. Featured in Apple Podcasts

See Now

Work History

1-2025
Head of Media Relations and External Communications at Smithsonian Institution
6-2023 - 11-2024
Global Publicity Lead, Scripted Series at Apple
10-2022 - 6-2023
Domestic Press Communications Lead at The Washington Post
12-2021 - 10-2022
Group Vice President, Communications, Discovery, Science Channel and discovery+ at Warner Bros. Discovery
8-2021 - 10-2022
Group Vice President, Discovery and Science Channel at Warner Bros. Discovery

Education

B.A. from Lycoming College
M.A. from The University of Waikato

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 23 Location : Washington, District of Columbia, United States Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Head of Media Relations and External Communications at Smithsonian Institution
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Insights For Selling To Phil

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Highlight the competitive differentiation of your product
  • Make sure that you you respond to any queries from them quickly
  • Be crisp while making the pitch

DONT's

  • Don’t expect them to change their mind quickly if they say no once
  • Don't try too hard to get friendly, let it happen with time
  • Avoid repeating yourself or making generalizations

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Phil is

  • Confidence in the product plays an important role, followed by powerful testimonials.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Phil

  • They might hesitate a little, but they will say no if they are not convinced.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Phil move?

  • Their decision making speed is somewhere in the middle.
  • Can Phil take some risk or not?

  • Once they have analyzed the pros and cons, they can take some risks.

You And Phil

Personality Compatibility


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