Speakers

Sally Alfis

Senior Vice President - Lifestyle, Spirits, Wine, M Booth

Sally Alfis has spent two decades steeped in the lifestyle and spirits/wine/beer spaces having worked on almost every alcohol category on the shelf!  From helping establish the groundwork to build cultural icons like with Campari and the Negroni, to driving reinvigoration campaigns for category leaders like PATRON and Heineken, even introducing new categories as with Truly, she’s led integrated marketing strategies that span earned press, influencer, experiential, digital and partnerships.  

Simen Aukland

Strategic Advisor, TRY

Simen has spent half his life in TV, film and politics. Now he advises public and private organisations on communication, from strategy, production to technology. 

Jody Benjamin

EVP of Strategy, Golin Ketchum

Craig Buchholz

U.S. CEO, Burson

Craig Buchholz, Burson’s U.S. CEO, has spent nearly three decades as a business leader in agencies and in-house, with deep experience in Fortune 100 companies in the automotive, consumer goods and healthcare sectors. Before Burson he was U.S. CEO of Hill & Knowlton.

Earlier, Craig spent three years as Senior Vice President of Global Communications for General Motors, where he was responsible for the company’s overall global communications strategy. He was instrumental in helping the company execute its unprecedented transformation to become a leader in electric vehicles, autonomous technology, and software services.

Buchholz was previously Chief Communications Officer for Procter & Gamble, where he served as a key advisor to the CEO and other C-suite leaders. He oversaw all elements of communications and led global teams across five business units, setting communications strategy and framing the company’s narrative.

Buchholz also spent nearly a decade at Merck, where he led the team responsible for strategic communications on behalf of the company’s prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, consumer care, and animal health products. He was deeply involved in the company’s $41 billion acquisition of Schering-Plough.

Earlier in his career, Buchholz held a variety of positions at Johnson & Johnson, Pharmacia (now Pfizer), and several public relations agencies.

Buchholz is a Fellow of the Aspen Institute, a Trustee of the Arthur W. Page Society, and a member of the Drexel University Kline School of Law Board, where he established the Buchholz Law Technology Lab. He received his J.D. from Drexel University Kline School of Law, and his B.A. from Temple University.

Kristin Cahill

Global CEO, GCI Health, Global Healthcare Lead for the Burson Group

Emi Chen

Marketing Director, Zespri Taiwan

Ian Cohen

Global Head of Creative & Content, Ford Motor Company

Dr. Sunday Dare

Special Adviser, Nigerian President on Policy Communication

Alev de Costa

Senior Partner, FINN Partners

Alev de Costa is a senior communications and marketing leader known for turning business challenges into ideas that build brands, earn attention and drive growth. A collaborative team leader and trusted IAT partner, she brings together insight, creativity and integrated communications to deliver work that connects with consumers to produce business results.

Throughout her career, Alev has helped shape award-winning campaigns for iconic brands including Harley-Davidson, PLANTERS, Borden Cheese and Denny’s; fueled growth for SNICKERS, Pop-Tarts, Verizon and KFC; and launched household staples from Oscar Mayer, MARS and Kraft/Nabisco.

A trusted counselor and quick, pragmatic thinker, her expertise spans brand and corporate communications, earned and social media strategy, creative campaign development, issues preparedness and reputation management. Her recent work includes award-winning programs for Denny’s and Borden Cheese, combining earned media, social, experiential and creative storytelling to generate attention, engagement and measurable brand impact.

Alev brings a forward-looking perspective to the changing communications landscape, exploring how AI, evolving media behaviors and new forms of influence are reshaping the ways brands build authority, trust and demand.

Prior to joining FINN Partners, Alev held roles at Weber Shandwick and Golin. She has a degree from Northwestern University.

 

Dan Doherty

Global Chair Corporate Affairs, SEC Newgate

Allison Dolegowski

Associate Director of Global Media Relations, Shure

Kelley Dougherty

SVP, Head of Global Corporate Affairs, Teva Pharmaceuticals

Kelley is SVP, Head of Global Corporate Affairs at Teva Pharmaceuticals, leading internal and external communications and advising Executive Management and the business. Her remit spans enterprise and strategy communications, executive thought leadership, media relations, reputation, issues and crisis management, financial communications, employee engagement, digital channels, purpose-led campaigns and brand transformation. Since assuming the global role in 2023, she has reshaped the function into a more integrated, proactive business partner aligned with Teva’s Pivot to Growth strategy.

Under Kelley’s leadership, positive media sentiment for Teva rose from 40% to 95% in under three years, while communications and leadership engagement helped increase internal support for the company’s direction by 30%. Her team has sharpened Teva’s growth narrative, strengthened executive visibility and led communications for major milestones, including financial results, pipeline and product news, Teva’s return to investment-grade status and the first U.S. trading of its ordinary shares. Previously, Kelley led Teva’s U.S. communications and reputation efforts from 2018 to 2022, guiding the company through two major litigation matters and helping shift communications from reactive to proactive.

Kelley brings more than 30 years of healthcare communications experience. Before joining Teva, she spent more than 20 years at Merck, most recently as Global Head of Reputation, Brand and Enterprise Social Media. Across global and U.S. roles, she led communications for HIV, vaccines, media relations, corporate responsibility, policy and access; established Merck’s global social media capabilities; and launched the Inventing for Life brand and reputation campaign. She began her career at Nelson Communications (Sciens Worldwide), supporting pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and consumer brands.

Kelley holds a degree in Communications from Rowan University and lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, four daughters and dog. She has also served for more than a decade in board roles with her local National Charity League chapter.

Richard Edelman

President and CEO, Edelman

Richard Edelman is the CEO of Edelman, a global communications firm, and Chairman of Daniel J. Edelman Holdings, the firm’s holding company. Founded in 1952 by his father Dan, Edelman remains independent and family owned with more than 6,000 employees in 66 offices across 28 countries.  

The firm was selected as Global Agency of the Year by PRovoke in 2022. Edelman was named to Advertising Age’s A-List in 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2019 and was honored as “PR Agency of the Decade” by both Advertising Age and PRovoke. At the 2022 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Edelman won a Gold Lion in the Sustainable Development Goals category and was named Co-Independent Agency of the Year for the Good Track. At Cannes in 2021, Edelman became the first PR Agency to win a Grand Prix as lead agency in the Entertainment Lions for Sport and was named Independent Agency of the Year in the Entertainment Track.

Richard was named CEO in 1996 taking over for his father, who remained Chairman until he passed away in 2013. Now in his 26th year as CEO, Richard is one of the longest tenured agency leaders in the marketing services industry. During that time, he’s guided the firm’s entry into Digital, Creative, Performance Marketing and Advisory. Under Richard’s leadership, Edelman’s revenue increased 11.5 times enabling it to become the largest communications firm in the world surpassing $1 billion in revenue. DJE Holdings’ revenue increased 14 times during that same period making it the largest independent communications holding company. He also serves as Chair of Edelman’s sister agency Zeno, which was named large agency of the year in 2021 and 2022 by PRWeek. Zeno employs 730+ people across 18 offices.

Richard has extensive experience in marketing and reputation management, having led assignments with major corporations, NGOs and family businesses. He has advised senior executives through significant disruptions within their organizations, including Samsung, Starbucks and United Airlines, and worked on the largest professional services merger in history of Ernst & Whinney and Arthur Young & Co. Richard works with numerous clients including Unilever, Dairy Management Inc. and Chobani. He has counseled countries in every region of the world on economic development programs. As the creator of the annual Edelman Trust Barometer, Richard has become one of the foremost authorities on trust in business, government, media and NGOs. Now in its 22nd year, the Edelman Trust Barometer is widely recognized as the leading piece of research on trust with its cross-cultural insights regularly cited in the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Economist, Fortune, Forbes and other media. The survey also informs academic studies on trust and provides insights to thought-leaders and opinion-shapers around the world.

In 2022, Richard was inducted into the American Advertising Hall of Fame, the first PR executive to ever earn this honor. In 2019, Richard was named the PR Agency Professional of the Past 20 Years by PRWeek and was inducted into the publication’s Hall of Fame; in 2014, Richard was inducted into the Arthur W. Page Society’s Hall of Fame; Advertising Age named him Agency Executive of the Year in 2008. Richard is regarded as an industry thought leader and has posted weekly to his blog since 2004.

He serves on the Board of Directors of the Ad Council, the Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP), the Atlantic Council, Project HOOD, P33, and the 9/11 Museum. He is a member of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, World Economic Forum and PR Seminar.

Richard earned his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1978 and a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard

Valiant Freeman

Associate Creative Director, Weber Shandwick

Philipp Grüll

Head of Public Affairs & Politics / Senior PR Consultant, The Skills Group | Team Farner

Jordan Guthmann

Executive Vice President, Burson

Jon Harris

CEO & Board Advisor, Communications & Reputation Executive, Jon Harris Associates

Jon Harris has spent more than three decades at the highest levels of corporate America, most recently as Executive Vice President, Chief Communications & Networking Officer at Conagra Brands and President of the Conagra Brands Foundation, and formerly in senior leadership roles at Hillshire Brands, Sara Lee Corporation and PepsiCo.

Throughout his career, he has advised CEOs and boards and helped lead organizations through some of their most consequential moments, including multi-billion-dollar mergers and acquisitions, public-company spin-offs, major business transformations, CEO transitions, corporate crises and periods of significant cultural and marketplace change. He has built and led high-performing teams and developed strategic relationships across business, media, sports, entertainment and philanthropy to strengthen reputation, accelerate growth and create enterprise value.

At Conagra Brands, Jon was part of the senior leadership team that transformed the company and its portfolio, reputation and culture. Earlier, he helped lead communications surrounding the separation of Sara Lee Corporation and creation of Hillshire Brands as an independent public company. At PepsiCo, he held senior communications roles and represented the company through major global brand and reputation moments, including the highly publicized Pepsi Stuff/"Where's My Jet?" crisis.

Jon is a recognized leader in the communications profession. He is a PRWeek Hall of Fame inductee, a recipient of the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations Legacy Award, and has been named to the PRWeek Power 50. He is a frequent speaker and commentator on leadership, reputation, communications, culture and the evolving role of the Chief Communications Officer. His extensive media experience includes appearances on TODAY, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, ABC World News Tonight and Nightline, along with engagement with leading global media including the Financial Times, BBC, The Economist and The Guardian.

Beyond his corporate leadership, Jon has long been active at the intersection of business, culture and social impact. He serves on the board of the GRAMMY Museum and is involved with organizations including TeachRock, the Arthur W. Page Society, USC Annenberg and the Economic Club of Chicago. He also founded and convenes the Truffle Club, a network of more than 80 chief communications officers and senior corporate leaders focused on connection, counsel and strengthening the profession.

Across each chapter of his career, Jon has operated from a simple belief: communications is not merely a support function. At its best, it is a business discipline capable of building trust, navigating change, strengthening brands and creating lasting enterprise value.

Paul Holmes

Founder & CEO, PRovoke Media

Paul Holmes, founder and chair of PRovoke Media, has been writing about public relations for more than 25 years. Paul began his career in local newspapers in the north of England and also worked for a newspaper group in South London before joining PR Week as news editor in 1985.

In 1987 he moved to New York to launch the short-lived US edition of that publication, and after that project came to an inglorious end worked with Adweek and Adweek’s Marketing Week for a year.

In 1989, he launched his own company, initially publishing Inside PR, and later Reputation Management magazine, both focused on providing analysis of critical trends and issues in the public relations industry. He created the annual Public Relations Agency Report Card, which included profiles of the leading PR firms in the US, and the Creativity in Public Relations Awards, which grew to become the largest in North America.

Early in 2000, Holmes launched The Holmes Group, which provides knowledge and insight to public relations professionals across a variety of platforms, including a website, an e-newsletter, events, printed reports, research and consulting assignments, and the SABRE Awards competition. The group’s flagship title, PRovoke Media (p/k/a The Holmes Report), covers the public relations business in the Americas, EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) and the Asia-Pacific region. In 2011, Paul was inducted into the ICCO Hall of Fame.

Nancy Huang

General Manager, Strategic Public Relations Group

Jim Joseph

Global Chair, Brand Impact, FleishmanHillard

Marketing is a spectator sport and Jim Joseph is one of the industry’s most engaging, enthralling, and entertaining commentators and drivers. In his primary role as Global Head of Brand Impact at FleishmanHillard, Jim constantly puts his decades-long integrated marketing experience to the test.

Jim’s list of brand experience spans virtually every industry and is a who’s who list of the most impressive brands on the planet including Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Walmart, PepsiCo, Oracle, American Express, Novartis, Microsoft, Hyatt, Ford, and McDonald’s.

Jim is also an award-winning author of The Experience Effect series and an adjunct instructor at New York University where he teaches a graduate class in integrated marketing. His newest book The Conscious Marketer explores the need for brands to be aware of socio-political, public health, and cultural issues in their marketing. He has also written a book about his journey as a father in Out & About Dad.

Entrepreneur of the Year, Agency of the Year, Consumer Launch Campaign of the Year, Most Creative Agency, Best Place to Work, Social Media Icon, Hall of Fame – these are the accolades that Jim has amassed throughout his career. But none are more important than the daily badge he wears with the most pride: dad.

Susanna Kalnes

Senior Vice President, Spark Public Relations

With more than 20 years of experience in earned media relations, Susanna Kalnes has worked with notable brands across major industry verticals from consumer packaged goods and sustainable design to AI, tech (of all kinds) and venture capital. She has worked with large businesses, household brands, numerous mid-sized companies, agencies and nonprofits. In her current role as SVP at Sparkpr, Susanna leads accounts in AI, VC, B2B enterprise technology, and other emerging industries. She specializes in narrative development, earned media relations, and spokesperson training.

Jordan Kavanagh

Creative Director, The Romans

Soojin Kim

Manager, PR Bom

Jayoung Kim

Senior Manager, PR Bom

David Krejci

Partner, Media Forensics, FINN Partners

David leads the Media Forensics group at FINN Partners, a specialized discipline combating narrative manipulation in today’s volatile media ecosystem. With a 30-year career blending crisis management and digital strategy, David guides major clients—including Pepsi, Google, and the U.S. Army—through the complex intersection of technology and reputation. His pivot from digital leadership to crisis innovation began during a 2009 Twitter attack on the U.S. Census. Since then, he has consistently anticipated industry shifts: launching the first crisis simulation tool in 2010, pioneering Media Forensics in 2015, and debuting AI-augmented solutions Canary and Airistotle in 2025 to analyze and influence digital narratives. Recognized as "Social Media Innovator of the Year" and a winner of PR WEEK’s "PR Innovation of the Year," David is a former University of Minnesota instructor dedicated to mastering how disruptive technologies reshape the information landscape.

Kristen Kusterer

Executive Creative Director, Golin Ketchum

Kristen is an earned-first creative leader who has executed award-winning campaigns for some of the world’s most recognizable brands and non-profit organizations, from Unilever, The TJX Companies, and the WNBA, to organizations including Planned Parenthood, The Wildlife Conservation Society, and former First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let Girls Learn.”  Kristen currently heads up the creative team at Golin Ketchum NY, where she leads work across Proctor & Gamble and The LEGO Group. 

Kristen’s work has been recognized by international industry awards including this year’s Global SABRE Awards, as well as Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, and the Effies, where her “Take a Seat, Take a Stand” campaign for the WNBA received special recognition for advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal for Gender Equality. 

A graduate of Pratt Institute, Kristen started her career on the other side of the PR pitch, as a digital editor for health and wellness publications including Jillian Michaels, The South Beach Diet, and FITNESS Magazine.

When she’s off-duty, Kristen can be found taking creative direction from her son, Henry.

Jesslyn Laiyenes

Influence Manager, Ogilvy Singapore

AJ Livsey

EVP, Head of Strategy, Golin Ketchum

AJ leads strategy for Golin Ketchum Chicago, overseeing planning, research, and measurement for corporate and consumer brands, including McDonald’s, Walmart, Grubhub, and United Airlines. With experience in both advertising and PR, she brings a broad perspective on today’s fragmented media landscape. She’s endlessly curious about what motivates people and how stories shape culture and behavior. A published writer and passionate teacher, AJ enjoys finding the interesting in the everyday—and is always up for an adventure, a baking project, or a provocative dinner-party question.

Brian Lott

Chief Communications Officer, Mubadala Investment Company

Diana Marszalek

Global Head of News, PRovoke Media

Allison McClamroch

Head of Brand U.S., Zeno Group

Allison McClamroch is an experienced integrated communications marketer with more than 20 years of experience helping brands achieve impact among their key audiences. She currently leads Zeno’s US Brand practice, and under her leadership Allison is responsible for growing the brand team, mentoring staff, creating lasting client relationships and building new ones. She has expertise in helping clients succeed in creating impact – whether by being part of culture, creating one more reason to buy, or driving enduring love between brands and consumers. 

As part of her role, Allison also manages a varied group of clients including The Coca-Cola Company, Chick-fil-A, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and more. Her focus is on leading the Zeno Brand team with creative, award-winning campaigns for clients, focusing on strategic ideas that map back to true business impact.

Tanya Meck

President Communications and Public Affairs, Global Strategy Group

Cassondra Mize

Head of Marketing, Sera Prognostics

Sheila Mulligan

President, Weber Advisory NA and Central Region

Nubia Murray

Senior Director, U.S. Brand Communications, McDonald’s

As Senior Director of U.S. Brand Communications at McDonald’s, Nubia leads consumer-facing campaigns that highlight the brand’s impact on people and communities and keep it connected to culture. Since joining McDonald’s in 2017, she has held roles spanning impact strategy, communications planning and operations, and global family marketing, including Happy Meal strategy. Previously, she spent nearly nine years at JPMorgan Chase in sports and entertainment marketing and corporate philanthropy, following an early career in fashion editorial at EBONY. Murray earned a BBA from Howard University and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and holds professional certifications from New York University and The George Washington University. A former Howard University track-and-field athlete, she has completed five Olympic-distance triathlons and two New York City Marathons.

Torod Neptune

Assistant Professor - Business, Communications, Reputation Management, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill

Torod has spent over 25 years at the highest levels of corporate America, most recently as SVP Corporate Marketing and Chief Communications Officer at Medtronic, and formerly Chief Communications Officer at both Lenovo and Verizon Wireless, and SVP Corporate Marketing and Communications at Bank of America. He has advised global brands including Nike, GSK, Mastercard and Delta through stints at Weber Shandwick/Powell Tate, WE Communications and Hager Sharp.

Now, as an Assistant Professor of Strategic Communications and Reputation Management at UNC Chapel Hill, he brings that lived experience directly into the classroom, preparing the next generation of leaders for the realities they'll actually face. He teaches not from theory alone, but from the room where the hard decisions happened.

He is also Founder and Managing Partner of Neptune & Company, a senior advisory firm serving CEOs, boards and executive teams navigating complex stakeholder environments where trust, governance and decision-making converge under heightened scrutiny. Together, these roles give him something rare: the freedom to examine the profession from outside the machine and call it like he sees it; balls and strikes.

Neptune holds an M.S. from Syracuse University and a B.A. from the University of South Carolina. He is a PRWeek Hall of Fame and North Carolina Media & Journalism Hall of Fame inductee, has been named one of Savoy Magazine's "Most Influential Executives in Corporate America," and appears regularly on the PRWeek Power List and Provoke Media's Influence 100, both recognizing the world's most impactful marketers and communicators.

Agatha Newman

Head of R&D Communications, Astellas Pharma Inc.

Jim O'Leary

CEO, Penta

Jim O’Leary advises leading executives as they navigate complex challenges at the intersections of business, society, culture and policy. As Penta’s CEO, he is relying on decades of expertise leading strategy and execution to build a modern corporate advisory — where senior counselors help leading organizations navigate high-stakes challenges proactively and with precision, backed by best-in-class data and intelligence.

Prior to joining Penta Group as CEO, O'Leary served as CEO of The Weber Shandwick Collective, North America and Global President, with oversight of all major global markets including EMEA, APAC and LATAM.

During his tenure at Weber Shandwick, O’Leary reshaped the firm's capabilities, building Weber Advisory, a high-growth corporate affairs unit, and establishing the firm as a leader on AI-enabled advisory with the launch of Weber I/O — the firm’s agentic artificial intelligence capability. His leadership brought Weber Shandwick its first-ever Outstanding Corporate Agency recognition from PRWeek, and in 2026, he was named PRWeek's Agency Professional of the Year.

Prior to joining Weber Shandwick in 2023, O'Leary spent 15 years at Edelman, where he served in a number of U.S. and global leadership roles with escalating responsibility, including U.S. Chief Operating Officer, Global Chair of Impact & ESG, and Corporate Affairs Practice Chair.

O'Leary is a longtime counselor to CEOs and their boards in business-critical situations. His clients have included Walgreens, McDonald's, McKinsey & Company, PayPal, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, General Electric, Hewlett-Packard, Bombardier, and Raytheon.

While at Edelman, O'Leary transformed Edelman’s global corporate affairs and advisory services practice through a focus on client-centricity and innovation. His contributions included Edelman’s first-in-the-industry capability in CommsTech, the development and launch of Edelman’s Business Transformation and Business Marketing units, the establishment of a new global practice focused on social impact, and the conception and authorship of flagship IP, "The Future of Corporate Communications".

Prior to joining Edelman, Jim served as a communications leader and on-the-record spokesperson for Honeywell. He has been recognized in PRWeek's Dashboard 25 as one of the industry's most innovative professionals and was previously named to PRWeek's "40 Under 40". A prolific fundraiser and advocate for rare disease research, he sits on the Foundation Board at Lurie Children's Hospital and on the Chicago Planning Council's Board of Governors.

Tammy Olson

Director of External Communications, CDW

Tammy Olson is Director of External Communications at CDW, where she leads media relations, executive visibility, thought leadership, and corporate storytelling for the Fortune 500 technology solutions provider. With more than 12 years of agency and in-house communications experience, Tammy most recently served as Vice President at Hotwire Global, where she spent 11 years advising technology companies on communications strategy, reputation management, executive visibility, and media relations. Throughout her career, Tammy has helped organizations develop and activate corporate narratives, translate complex technology and AI topics into compelling stories, and elevate executives through strategic communications and thought leadership. Her work spans corporate communications, brand storytelling, media relations, and content strategy.

Israel Opayemi

MD/Chief Strategist, Chain Reactions Africa

Maja Pawinska Sims

Global Head of Features; EMEA News Editor, PRovoke Media

Maja Pawinska Sims is the global head of features and EMEA news at PRovoke Media. She has been writing about public relations and communications for 26 years, first as features editor of PRWeek and then as a freelance writer and editor for PR agencies and their clients around the world, including three years as Weber Shandwick’s EMEA editor. Maja joined PRovoke Media in 2018 and covers UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa news, features, analysis and podcasts, as well as leading major global projects including the Best Agencies of the Year, the Influence 100 list of the world’s most influential in-house chief communications and corporate affairs officers, and the Innovator 25 lists of disruptors, innovators and gamechangers in the PR industry. She was named Journalist of the Year at the Global Women in Marketing Awards in 2019, where the judges noted: “Maja proves how empathy can drive brilliant editorial thinking. She is clearly an absolute expert in her field and proves that you can challenge an industry while also championing it.”

Alison Perris

Vice President of Marketing, Kiva

Jennifer Risi

Founder and President, The Sway Effect

Jennifer Risi leads The Sway Effect, one of the industry’s top marketing and communications agencies today. At the heart of The Sway Effect’s work, the agency is focused driving brand reputation while putting diversity, equity, and inclusion at the center of everything that we do. Risi is a seasoned executive with more than 20+ years of experience in strategic global media relations, CEO and executive communications, investor relations and issues management. Risi was named a PR News Top Women in PR for three years in a row. The Sway Effect was named PRNews Women Owned Agency of the Year [2025 and 2023] and 2024 PRovoke Media North American Boutique Agency of the Year. 

Samantha Rothaus

Partner, Davis+Gilbert

Samantha Rothaus is a leading advisor to public relations, advertising, marketing, and communications agencies navigating the opportunities and challenges presented by emerging technologies. As a Partner in Davis+Gilbert's Advertising + Marketing practice, she helps agencies and marketing/communications teams embrace innovation while managing legal risk, protecting creative assets, and supporting business growth. Samantha is particularly known for her work at the intersection of communications and generative AI, advising organizations on how to harness new technologies while addressing evolving legal, contractual, regulatory, and reputational considerations.

Drawing on deep experience working with agencies, content creators, and brand marketers, Samantha counsels clients on developing AI governance strategies, implementing internal policies and best practices, updating MSA and vendor agreements, evaluating AI-generated content, and navigating complex issues involving intellectual property, disclosure requirements, digital replicas, talent rights, and content ownership. She has advised agencies on AI-powered marketing initiatives, reviewed AI-generated content for legal clearance, negotiated appropriate contractual rights and responsibilities around AI usage, and guided communications firms as they integrate AI tools into creative and business operations.

A frequent speaker and author on AI and communications law, Samantha regularly shares insights with PR, marketing, and agency audiences on generative AI, transparency and disclosure obligations, emerging regulations, brand risk, and the rapidly evolving legal framework shaping the future of content, communications, and marketing.

Shant Salakian

Head of Oncology Public Affairs, AbbVie

Gabby Schiavenato

Partner and Head of Client Growth Strategy, Asthenos Consulting

Gabby is an AI strategist and the Founder of TinyGoat, a consultancy dedicated to demystifying artificial intelligence and driving practical AI implementation for businesses. Working alongside a dedicated business partner, Gabby co-leads initiatives that translate emerging technology into actionable operational and sales strategies, helping organizations optimize workflows and train their teams for sustainable growth.

In addition to driving the vision at TinyGoat, Gabby serves as Partner and Head of Client Growth Strategy at Asthenos, a collaborative consultancy empowering mission-driven organizations and nonprofits. Through this dual lens of cutting-edge corporate tech and impactful business development, Gabby brings a uniquely collaborative approach to AI adoption that prioritizes not just technical integration, but human-centric training and holistic organizational success. Whether co-advising corporate teams through TinyGoat or grassroots nonprofits through Asthenos, Gabby is committed to making AI accessible and highly effective.

Frank X. Shaw

Chief Communications Officer, Microsoft

Phillippa Solway

Partner & Director, FleishmanHillard

Greg Swan

Senior Partner, Head of Futures & Client Transformation, FINN Partners

Greg Swan is a senior marketing leader and Head of Futures & Client Transformation at FINN Partners, blending experience with creative, digital and social advertising, content strategy, AI, PR, and emerging technology for startups, Fortune 500 companies, and all sizes in between. Greg is a frequent speaker on the future of marketing, authors the weekly Social Signals newsletter, and co-hosts The Cave Project podcast. Ask him about his fax machine. Seriously.

Madison Vanstone

Account Coordinator, GCI Canada

Tucker Warren

Senior Partner, Penta

Tucker Warren is a senior communications strategist with over 20 years of experience advising C-suite executives and business leaders across a wide range of industries. As a Senior Partner at Penta, he plays a central role in shaping the firm’s strategic direction and driving its growth. Tucker works closely with organizations to align their communications with business priorities, enhance brand reputation, and navigate complex public policy environments.

Over the course of his career, Tucker has brought his expertise to sectors including finance, healthcare, technology, education, manufacturing, trade, insurance, transportation, and agriculture—as well as presidential politics. He is known for his ability to develop integrated communications strategies that reach key stakeholders through media, build influence through third-party engagement, strengthen internal messaging, and leverage research, design, and advertising to drive impact and achieve results.

Prior to joining Penta, Tucker served as Director of Communications for the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, where he developed the Commission’s overall communications strategy, acted as chief spokesperson, and advised commissioners on public testimony and high-profile media engagements. The Commission’s final report, which he led the public release of, became a national best-seller.

Tucker’s career includes senior roles at Edelman, the world’s largest public relations firm, and Lipman Hearne, a boutique agency specializing in nonprofit communications. His work has spanned everything from managing a multimillion-dollar advocacy campaign that helped secure trade promotion authority, to rolling out the MacArthur Foundation’s annual “genius awards,” launching a video game for people living with MS, and crafting a national COVID testing strategy that drew international attention. He has also managed high-profile media events—including a national tour featuring an ultra-marathoner running 63 marathons in 63 days—and advised Howard Schultz as he explored a potential run for president in 2020.

Tucker earned his degree in political science from Auburn University, where he was also a member of the golf team. He began his career in Washington in 1999 as a staffer on Vice President Al Gore’s presidential campaign. He lives in D.C. with his wife, Kate, and their two children.

Amira Williams

Account Director, FleishmanHillard London

Denise Young

Global Vice President of Corporate Communications, Mars