Lisa O'Neill - Women Communicators of Austin

Principal and Founder
Breakaway Public Relations

Lisa O'Neill Check Lisa O’Neill out on LinkedIn

Lisa O’Neill has more than 25 years experience in public relations and integrated marketing with a focus on clients in hospitality, travel and non-profit sectors. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Lisa began her career on the east coast working at agencies, in-house and ultimately running her own PR consultancy in Boston. Her diverse PR background ranges from marketing and community relations for a weekly newspaper group to luxury clients and health and wellness.

After 15 years in the northeast, Lisa returned to Austin in 2004 to raise her family in Longhorn country, happily leaving behind the snow shovel. She managed public relations at two of Austin’s leading advertising agencies, followed by running the lifestyle group at Austin’s oldest independent PR agency. Lisa re-opened her boutique public relations firm in 2009 (Newton O’Neill Communications). In 2018, Newton O’Neill Communications merged with a local lifestyle PR firm to form Breakaway Public Relations, a full-service consumer PR agency serving clients such as Hilton Austin, Georgetown, Texas, AIA Austin, We Are Blood, Blue Genie Art Bazaar and Texas 4000 for Cancer.

Always committed to community service – at work and at home – Lisa is a long-time supporter of World Vision as well as local nonprofits such as Explore Austin and Kids in a New Groove.

Best Mentee Fit:

Due to her background in a wide range of PR and marketing operations and environments, she enjoys helping budding and mid-level communications professionals maneuver professional next steps or career shifts. With a solid track record in running her own business (13 years and counting) while balancing family and personal passions, Lisa can share best practices in work/life balance.

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