Announcing Ragan’s 2025 Class of Top Women in Communications

Meet the women who are shaping the future of the profession.

Top Women in Communications

It’s time to celebrate the extraordinary communications leaders who continue to reshape how communicators engage, educate and inspire.

Ragan’s Top Women in Communications Awards 2025 honors the remarkable achievements of women who have set new standards across internal and external communications, public relations, HR and beyond. These trailblazers are shaping the future of our industry with their relentless creativity, strategic prowess and bold leadership.

The Class of 2025 honorees have risen to meet today’s most pressing challenges with courage and ingenuity. They’ve elevated communications through their mastery of data, innovative use of technology and forward-thinking strategies. With an unmatched understanding of audiences and industries — and a deep commitment to empathy — they have navigated everything from crises to celebrations, mergers to restructures, and layoffs to leadership transitions with grace and skill.

These women are not only leading the charge in areas like DEI and policy-building but are also setting benchmarks for excellence as executives, strategists and ground-level innovators. Every day, they work to advance the field of communications and inspire others to follow in their footsteps.

Explore the full list of 2025 inductees and discover how you can join us to celebrate their achievements at our special awards ceremony on March 12, 2025, in New York City.

Congratulations to Ragan’s Top Women in Communications, Class of 2025!

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Agency DynamosAgency LeadersBridge BuildersChange AgentsCrisis NavigatorsData DynamosDiversity, Equity & Inclusion ChampionsDynamic Do-ersInternal Communications LeadersLeadersMentors & CoachesPR LeadersTech LeadersTrailblazersVisionariesRising Stars

Agency Dynamos

Kim Kraemer, Founder, CEO & Chief Brand Strategist, Waterhouse Brands

Kirsty Langan, Practice Head: Emerging Technologies, GingerMay

 

Agency Leaders

Bree Bosselman, Owner and Partner, The MRKT

Andrea Coville, CEO, Brodeur Partners

Anna Crowe, CEO and Founder, Crowe PR

Danielle DeVoren, Managing Partner, KCSA Strategic Communications

Rimjhim Dey, CEO, DEY Ideas + Influence

Darlene Doyle, Chief Client Relations Officer, PAN

Megan Driscoll, CEO & Founder, EvolveMKD

Randi Liodice, President & Chief Strategy Officer, Kaplow Communications

Suzanne Parsonage Miller, President & Founder, SPM Communications

Kate Ryan, Managing Director, US, Diffusion PR

Cortney Stapleton, CEO, The Bliss Group

Melanie Van Dusen, EVP | Sports, Lifestyle and Reputation, Berk Communications

Peggy Walsh, Global Chief Operating Officer, Ruder Finn

Heather Whaling, President and Founder, Geben Communication

Ali Winkle, Founder and CEO, Just Drive Media

Lisa Wolleon, EVP, Coyne PR

 

Bridge Builders

Ana Ambrosi, Sr. Director of Corporate Communication & PR, Avocados From Mexico

Artemis Bakopoulos Hiss, Sr. Director, Global External Affairs & Crisis, McDonald’s

Christina Chan, SVP, Corporate Affairs, Regeneron

Tina McCorkindale, President & CEO, Institute for Public Relations

Jenna McMullin, VP of Communications, Lockheed Martin Space

Debbie O’Brien, Chief Communications Officer and VP of Global Social Impact, PagerDuty

Bertha Villalobos, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Sr. Manager, USG LATAM

 

Change Agents

Amy Cianciaruso, Corporate VP and Chief Communications Officer, Charles River

Whitney Eichinger, SVP & Chief Communications Officer, Southwest Airlines

Kerry Gaetano, VP and Head of Corporate Communications, BMO Financial Group

Susan Hardy, Change Management and Communications, CDW

Samantha Kreloff, Public Relations Sr. Manager, Samsung Electronics America

Amy Lawrence, Deputy MD, GingerMay

Sarah Ottaway, Compensation Program Manager, Mass General Brigham

Jam Stewart, VP Corporate Affairs, Banfield Pet Hospital

Lavanya Wadgaonkar, Corporate VP, Global Communications, Nissan Motor Co.

 

Crisis Navigators

Pamela Greenwalt, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, SAG-AFTRA

Kelcey Kintner, SVP, Crisis Communications, Red Banyan

Carrie Laudie, Director, Public Relations, Ivanti

Mikaya Thurmond, CEO, Milan Public Relations

 

Data Dynamos

Taylor Cordeiro, VP, Internal Communications, BNY

Kayla Reed-Stillman, Sr. Manager – Internal Communications Program Management, The Home Depot

Sally Slater, EVP, Head of Innovation, The Bliss Group

 

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Champions

Rachel Barry, Corporate Reputation Communications Advisor, Southwest Airlines

Kiara Lane, Director, Communications, The McDonald’s Division, The Coca-Cola Company

Lorena Terroba Urruchua, Sr. Consultant, FTI Consulting

 

Dynamic Do-ers

Natalie Adler, VP, Public Impact and Resilience Communications, Fors Marsh

Josephine Bertrams, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, HEINEKEN USA

Andrea Bunce, Manager, Communications Business Partner, Cardinal Health

Emily Cheung, Manager, Global External Affairs, McDonald’s

Gabriella Chiera, Sr. Director, Corporate Communications, Anywhere Real Estate

Joanne Degnan, Communications Manager, New Jersey Business & Industry Association

Francesca DeMauro-Palminteri, VP, KCSA Strategic Communications

Leila Dillon, SVP, Corporate Marketing and Communications, Ameresco

Emily Gonce, Corporate VP/ Sr. Director, New York Life Insurance Company

Jennifer Greer, Sr. Director, Institute Communications, RTI International

Lara Hamm, Chief Communications Officer, Jackson Lewis

Kim Holzinger, VP, Client Experience, dna Communications

Amy Lawrence, Communications Manager of Public Affairs, American Airlines

Michelle Martinez De La Nuez, Sr. Director, Global Initiatives, DLA Piper

McKenzie Naylor, SVP, Ruder Finn

Lizzie Penna, Account Supervisor, Haymaker

Rachael Pinkney, Strategic Communications Consultant, AWL Strategies

Jennifer M. Reel, Chief Communications Officer, F.N.B. Corporation

Preya Samsundar, Chief Communications Officer, K2 & Co

Nandini Sankara, VP Marketing and Brand Strategy and Spokesperson, Suburban Propane

Martha Shaughnessy, Founder, The Key PR

Ashley Skokan, Communication Manager, Hy-Vee

Sandra Sullivan, VP, Campaign Strategy, Muscular Dystrophy Association

 

Internal Communications Leaders

Brenda Clark, VP Transformation and Enterprise Internal Communications, Baker Hughes

Carolyn Clark, VP of Corporate Communications and EX Strategy, Simpplr

Christina Cornell, Director, Field Communications, The Home Depot

Desiree Elsharif, VP Employee Communications, ServiceNow

Heather Gowin, System Executive Director, Internal Communications, City of Hope

Jenna Greco, Director of Communications & Culture, Power Design

Danielle Hughes, VP, Communication, BODYARMOR Sports Nutrition

Allie Hyams, Sr. Manager, Communications, Providence Health

Annie Jamieson, VP, Corporate Communications, Confluent Health

Caroline Johns, Director of Internal Communications, Saatva

MariCarmen Eroles, Director, Internal Communication, Dallas ISD

Kristin Moses Murray, VP, Internal & Employee Communications, Freedom Mortgage

Shannon Singer, Head of Internal Communications, Google DeepMind

 

Leaders

Katherine Bagood, Head of Marketing, Coder

Lenee Breckenridge, SVP of Communications, UFC

Melissa Davis, Chief of Communications, DC Office of Lottery and Gaming

Laurie Doyle Kelly, Chief Communications Officer, GlobalFoundries

Emily Honig, VP, Public Relations & Marketing, Publicis Health Media

Joy Jarrett, CMO, Guidehouse

Sarah Joyce, Global Head of Corporate Communications, Beats by Dre

Sandra Lute, SVP, Brand Marketing, Army & Air Force Exchange Service

Amanda Mahan, VP of Global Marketing Communications, MyFitnessPal

Beth Miller, VP, Communications, STV

Erin Miser, Sr. Director, Communications and Marketing, Spirit AeroSystems

Kathleen Prause, Sr. Director, Corporate Communications, USG

Kelly Schlemm, VP, Head of Corporate Affairs, Servier Pharmaceuticals

Citseko Staples Miller, Managing Director, Strategic Communications, FTI Consulting

Jordana Strosberg, Sr. Director, PwC

 

Mentors & Coaches

Clara McGrail, Managing Director, Strategic Communications, FTI Consulting

Keri Toomey, EVP, Head of Employee Experience, Professional Services Co-Lead, The Bliss Group

 

PR Leaders

Leslie Cafferty, Chief Communications Officer, Booking Holdings

Kristin Cockerham, Director of Communications, Coldwell Banker Real Estate

Lindsay Daly, Director of Corporate Communications, Wasabi Technologies

Johanna Herrmann, VP Global Communications and Chief of Staff to the EVP and CCO, Merck & Co.

Joelle Hutcheon, Director, External Communications, Mars Wrigley North America

Katie Jewett, VP, UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations

Laura Kepus, VP, Berk Communications

Brandy King, Managing Director, Communications, Southwest Airlines

Monika Levin, SVP, Strategic Communications, Red Banyan

Adrienne Lynch, Global PR and Media Relations Director, Baker Hughes

Lauren McCabe, VP, External Relations, Dow Jones

Erica Richardson, Chief Strategic Communications Officer, Investment Company Institute

Jen Sabatelle, EVP, Communications, CBS Sports

Amanda Thayer, VP, Communications & Public Affairs, Global Strategy Group

Maya Wasserman, Head of Marketing – Brand Marketing, Personal Entertainment and Home Entertainment, Sony Electronics

 

Tech Leaders

Jennifer Bowcock, SVP, Communications & Creative, RealPage

Melanie Poitras, VP, Corporate Marketing, Mimecast

Kelly Zonderwyk, Marketing Account Director, ICF

 

Trailblazers

Julie Barry, VP, Global Brand & Communications, Wasabi Technologies

Christina Bennett, Senior Director, External Communications, Priceline

Regan Hopper, Communications Program Manager, U.S. Forest Service

Deborah Fowler, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Green Room Communications

Georgina Goode, Deputy Director for the Communications and Education Directorate, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Lauren Kleinman, Founder + CEO, Dreamday

Alexandra Priola, Managing Director, FTI Consulting

Kimberly West, VP of Corporate Affairs, VCA Animal Hospitals

 

Visionaries

Jessica Adelman, SVP, Corporate Affairs, Mars Wrigley North America

Karen Alamo Pichara, Head of Communications Latin America, Diageo

Allie Bostwick, Sr. Director – Global Communications, Culture & Brand Partnerships, PATRÓN Tequila

Alex Christian, VP of Research and Analytics, EvolveMKD

Kathy Fieweger, SVP, Communications, UL Solutions

Jill Kermes, Corporate VP, Global Communications and Corporate Citizenship, TD SYNNEX

Tricia Mahoney, Chief Marketing Officer, Twisted X Global Brands

Blake Simpson, SVP and Chief Communications and Corporate Affairs Officer, Adtalem Global Education

 

Rising Stars

Edna Adams, Public Relations Specialist, Macon-Bibb County

Amanda Akin, Account Supervisor, EvolveMKD

Veronica Alvarez, Account Executive, Snackbox

Arianna Crawford, Account Executive, Big Valley Marketing

Shannon Donohue, Sr. Account Director, Berk Communications

Sofia Elias, Manager, Publicity, Onyx Collective | The Walt Disney Company

Morgan Evans, Account Director, Berk Communications

Krystal Grubb, Internal Communications Specialist, Core BTS

Pal Hollywood, Corporate Communications Manager, San Jose Water

Kassidy Krystek, Director of Public Relations & Communications, Resorts World Las Vegas

Daria Martorana, Sr. Director, Social Impact, Jennifer Bett Communications

Eliza McCurdy Colón, Communications Associate for Narrative Change, The Bronx Defenders

Brenlyn Motlagh, Sr. Account Manager, Gateway Group

Ana Plefka, Sr. Manager, PR & Communications, Home Chef

Sierra Price, Public Relations Specialist, Ivanti

Mara Redican, Public Relations Manager – Personal, Home Entertainment & Brand Marketing, Sony Electronics

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