For Stan Steinreich, the world is an open conversation where barriers are broken through impactful, meaningful use of communication. Look at his accomplishments and one will see a man who has given the Jewish world much of his time, much of his efforts to see programs such as Birthright, the Jewish Federation for the Righteous, science and technology schools in Israel, and even the world-renowned Inbal Hotel become successful.

Originally from Elmwood Park, Steinreich worked as a local metro news reporter for the New York Times. “With the Times when you move up, it’s usually going to be out to an outside bureau,” he said. “Being shomer Shabbos, it’s difficult when you have to say ‘don’t call me.’ I think I was getting a message from shemayim that it was time to think of other opportunities. When someone knows you are in journalism, you have random people approach you.

“I was fortunate enough to get some great positions with leading PR firms,” he said. “And in a career spanning 20 years, I’ve had some fantastic positions, doing both corporate and financial work.”

He became what he described as a “turn-around” specialist, working to help firms and practices go from failure to success. He was tabbed by the firm Fleischman Hillard to make an entry into the Israeli business community. That connection occurred in the early 1990s.

“What I saw in Israel were marketing opportunities with organizations in the $100 million to $1 billion range,” he said. “And in the corporate sphere, that is considered mid-sized.”

Closer to home in New Jersey, some of the companies he has provided consult to include Therapeutic International, a bedding manufacturer based in Princeton; and Telebrands, one of the world’s largest companies, based in Fairfield. Steinreich Communications has its headquarters in Fort Lee. It has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, London, Frankfurt, and Tel Aviv.

He and his wife Lori and four children live in Teaneck and worship at Bnai Yeshurun. His oldest daughter Ariella, is part of the firm as well.

“We have clients meeting with us, and we’re strategizing with them, talking with them about new business opportunities. We look at Israel and it is an exporting nation. When you look at Israel, you see large resources of revenue that mostly comes through travel and tourism. We do a great deal of work in that space,” he said.

Steinreich, 54, added that technology also provides huge opportunities for consultation as well. Plus, there’s the Israeli government and non-profits providing another “tapestry of ideas and areas,” he said.

A great example of his firm’s work is how it added to the Inbal Jerusalem Hotel. Steinreich saw a trend at the Inbal. It was becoming a destination hotel for many solidarity missions coming from Jewish federations or other Jewish organizations. So rather than focusing marketing strategy on perhaps a new restaurant at the Inbal, Steinreich Communications saw the trend and accelerated through strategic planning the Inbal as the “base” for solidarity missions. Another important client is Rambam Hospital in Haifa, which has, he said, the world’s largest underground medical facility.

In total, he spends between four to six weeks each year in Israel. He figures that he travels some 300,000 miles on planes every year.

But he has also learned that in the case of Israel new entrepreneurship begets more entrepreneurship “We see that all of the time,” he said. “Another wonderful fact you are seeing are Israelis making money abroad and then coming back to their country. There are start-ups in Israel instead of Silicon Valley. That will continue for many years to come.”

Steinreich added that the country’s students are given an ample opportunity for STEM or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education.

“Israel develops practical engineers. It has the people who come in and do much of the programming as more start-ups are happening. Israel needs trained people, because there is such a big push in technology right now. I’m seeing a great spirit of cooperation between the private sector and government to improve education.”

In past articles on Steinreich, the issue of finding kosher food in some foreign stops was highlighted. Now Steinreich seems less concerned with the food and more focused on being home with his family as often as possible.

“Time-wise, it can be a challenge sometimes,” he said. “I try to be home for Shabbos. In the time that I have, I want to spend it with my family doing things together as simple as going out to dinner.”

Stan Steinreich Facts:

• Started own consultancy firm in 2001.

• Experience includes strategic counseling, media relations, crisis communications, and more.

• Former VP of Armstrong Holdings.

• Executive Vice President/National Director of Change Management Communications for Edelman Public Relations Worldwide.

• Corporate website: Scompr.Com

By Phil Jacobs