Penny Kendall and partner Claudia Jaccarino recently formed CultureConnect, a firm offering customized strategies in cross cultural communication.

Penny Kendall has twenty years of experience in developing protocol, customized strategies, and initiatives for state, national, and international entities. She has worked with the Presidents of China, Hungary, Uruguay, the Philippines, Japan and Korea, as well as ambassadors worldwide.

Previously, Penny was president of The Kendall Group, an international consulting practice, and the director of international relations and chief of protocol for former Governor of Illinois George Ryan. Charged with creating relationships between foreign heads of state, business leaders, communities and Illinois government, Kendall skillfully negotiated the cross-cultural terrain necessary for developing diplomatic ties. As the Asian liaison for the State of Illinois, Kendall provided cross cultural opportunity and communication to State programming for the multi-national communities.

Kendall has been the recipient of several awards denoting community service, most recently one from the US Department of State, Department of Justice, entitled the “Just Works Award.”