Nov 09 2023 27 mins
The latest research report out of communication agency Edelman is rich with takeaways. The 2023 Corporate Communications Study follows a 2021 edition that explored the implications of the pandemic on the role of organizational communication. The report revealed that Chief Communication Officers (CCOs) now spend nearly 20 percent of their time counseling CEOs on issues unrelated to communication. That’s just one sign that the CCO’s stock has risen in organizations, with 91 percent of top communicators involved in crafting strategy before or during the decision-making process. Speaking to Axios, U.S. Corporate Practice Chair Radina Russell said, “These stats are indicative of (CCOs) informing decision making, having a seat at the table, and helping to steer the enterprise.”
Neville and Shel spoke with Russell in this FIR Interview about other findings from the report.
About our Conversation Partner
Radina Russell is US Corporate Practice Chair & General Manager, Atlanta Southeast Market, Edelman. Radina is a highly accomplished communications professional with over two decades of experience in financial and corporate communications, shareholder engagement, and ESG strategy. She currently serves as Chair of the U.S. Corporate Practice and market leader for Atlanta Southeast at Edelman, where she advises C-suites and boards on complex issues.
Throughout her career, Radina has played a leading role in some of the largest domestic and cross-border capital markets transactions, including Kraft Heinz and Restaurant Brands International. She is also a trusted advisor to executives on high-profile executive visibility, reputation management, thought leadership, and crisis management efforts.
Radina is passionate about DEI and ESG and is committed to increasing the number of racially and ethnically diverse directors on corporate boards. In 2020, she collaborated with Ursula Burns to establish the Board Diversity Action Alliance.
Radina’s accomplishments have earned her recognition in her profession and community. In 2021, The Network Journal and Morgan Stanley named her one of the 25 Influential Black Women in Business.
Prior to joining Edelman, Radina served on the Executive Committee and was head of the Atlanta office at Teneo. She also led the Global Shareholder Activism Defense and Capital Markets Advisory practice at Brunswick Group and was head of Corporate, Financial, and Consumer Communications for Macy’s Inc. Radina began her career in finance as a sell-side analyst at J.P. Morgan.
Radina is a native of Atlanta and holds a B.S. in Business Administration from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.B.A from Columbia Business School. She is also a co-founder and director of Harlem Girls Cheer, Inc., and serves on the board of the John A. Reisenbach Foundation.
Links from This Interview
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