CLAUDIA SANTA CRUZ
President
Santa Cruz Communications

Claudia Santa Cruz is the President of Santa Cruz Communications, Inc., a woman-owned, award-winning Public Relations agency she founded in 2001, which delivers communications solutions for companies seeking to engage with the U.S. Hispanic market. A seasoned PR professional with over 30 years of experience, Santa Cruz leads and oversees the agency’s work for an expanding roster of loyal clients in a variety of industries, including Entertainment, Education, Environment, Non-Profit, and Health, among others. Her extensive knowledge of the U.S. General and Hispanic markets and her capability to develop and execute strategic campaigns that produce measurable results have earned her a reputation as a leading PR professional for the U.S. Hispanic and General market. 

Furthermore, she has led the company to be recognized in the entertainment industry as one of the driving forces behind internationally televised events, achieving maximum awareness for Telemundo’s highly-rated prestigious awards shows, including the Billboard Latin Music Awards, and Latin American Music Awards, and contributing to their high ratings performance.  SCC’s work on the Billboard Latin Music Awards earned the agency an HPRA National Bravo Award for Media Event Campaign of the year.

A proficient speaker, Santa Cruz has participated as an industry expert at important panel discussions for Hispanicize, PRSA Miami, HPRA Los Angeles and PR Week Ecuador, among others. In 2015, Santa Cruz was selected by Lincoln to be featured in their #LincolnLatina campaign, which aimed to honor successful women with a compelling story.  The 60-second ad, which broadcast nationally in Spanish, focused on Santa Cruz’s inspirational life, from the heartfelt adoption of her daughter in China to her resilient spirit after surviving the death of her previous husband at the age of 40.

Prior to starting her own PR business in 2001, Santa Cruz, who co-authored the book Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, worked at Telemundo for over seven years where she developed and executed bilingual campaigns to promote the company’s activities, programs, on-air personalities, and special events. Santa Cruz was promoted from her PR Manager position at the company’s flagship station in Los Angeles, KVEA-TV Telemundo 52.  During her tenure at Telemundo 52, she planned and executed media and public affairs campaigns targeting the L.A. market, and produced a weekly public affairs television program titled “Contrapunto.”  Previously, Santa Cruz was the PR Coordinator at KMEX-TV, Univision’s flagship station in L.A..

A recipient of a Public Relations Society of America PRISM Award and a Latino Marketing Award, Santa Cruz received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from California State University, Northridge.  She was born in Peru and lived in Bolivia, the Philippines, and Norway prior to moving to the United States, and she currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter.