The Crux of the Story

For the Boston University College of Communication (BU COM) Class of 2020, what was it like to look for a job during a pandemic? In this episode, we welcome three alumni to hear about their unique and unprecedented journeys entering the workforce post-graduation. With the “Great Resignation,” what skills did they learn at BU that really helped them? How did they navigate all of those difficulties and still find a place with values that matched their own? Tune in to hear from an honors graduate and winner of the 2020 COM Blue Chip Award, Nicole McPherson. Nicole is now an Account Executive at BCW’s Technology Practice in San Francisco. Joining her are Hailey McKee and Jessica Nelson, who both earned master’s degrees in PR from COM in 2020. Today, Hailey is an Account Executive at Fleishman-Hillard’s Corporate Reputation department. Jessica is currently an Account Executive at GCI Health in Atlanta.

How is corporate political spending bad for business and democracy? How should companies navigate political giving when shareholders have diverse political views? Building on this issue, how should communicators work with the legal and public affairs team? In this episode, we are joined by Associate Professor at the University of Southern California (USC) Gould School of Law Dorothy Lund. She recently co-authored an article in Harvard Business Review titled “Corporate Political Spending is Bad Business” with Leo Strine, Jr., a lawyer and former Chief Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court. Dorothy and Leo argue that political spending is “time-wasting and costly” and that actually, such spending greatly intensifies corporate risk. Tune in to hear Dorothy’s guidance on how businesses can involve their shareholders in political donations decisions and most importantly, how Mike could have become an accountant?

Why is it crucial every Fortune 500 company hire an historian? How does understanding the past contribute to today’s DEI efforts? Accept responsibility, understand the past, apologize proactively, and respond meaningfully. This is how every company should handle historical transgressions, according to Dr. Sarah Federman. Sarah is an Assistant Professor of Negotiation and Conflict Management at the University of Baltimore and a Fulbright Peace & Conflict Resolution Specialist. Previously, she had spent a decade as a senior advertising executive working with big brands. Join us on this episode to hear Sarah’s guidance on the need for every company to understand and respond to historical transgressions.

Given the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, what should multinational companies be doing from a risk and reputation perspective? What is a hybrid war? What is a company’s role in national security? In this episode, we are joined by Weber Shandwick Executive Vice President of Geopolitical Strategy and Risk, Michelle Giuda. Before this position, Michelle served as Assistant Secretary of State, in which she led the State Department’s global communications strategy and operations. Tune in to hear Michelle’s insights on the importance of ‘home country’ as an emerging stakeholder and the modern multi-dimensional warfare that is taking place.

How is data and AI driving corporate decision making? What should marketers and communicators be doing about AI and its implications? But most importantly, what does retirement look like for a Hall of Fame communicator? In this episode, we are joined by Founding Executive Director of the Data and Trust Alliance Jon Iwata. He is also currently an Executive Fellow at the Yale School of Management. Previously, for 35 years, Jon served as IBM inaugural chief brand officer where he spearheaded things like Smart Plan and Watson. Join us on this episode to hear Jon’s insights on the future of responsible data and AI usage.

The biggest acquisition deal ever in the tech and gaming world between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard. How do comms professionals navigate big M&A deals? What cultural issues do you prepare for? And what is SoundExchange? On this 72nd episode of The Crux, we welcome Helaine Klasky, the CCO of Activision Blizzard, who has quite a model communicator’s resume. She has worked at the highest levels of government, business, entertainment, and education. Tune in to hear her insights on the topic and why didn’t Gary work for Helaine?

Have the Olympic Games become too controversial for corporate sponsors? Do Super Bowl ads pay off? And what is Karate Combat? On this 71st episode of The Crux we get answers to these questions from Michael Hargrave, president of Discover Sports & Entertainment, who has guided big brands such as Anheuser-Busch to Bank of America through sports sponsorships and events. Tune in to hear his insights on how brands navigate around the politicization of the Olympics, the rationalization behind Super Bowl ads, and the future of sports marketing.

In our seventieth episode of The Crux, we welcome Peter Goodman who is a New York Times' economics journalist and author of "Davos Man: How the Billionaires Devoured the World." Previously, he was an executive global news and business editor at the Huffington Post, as well as the Shanghai bureau chief for the Washington Post. Peter has covered some of the most momentous economic transformations and upheavals of our time.

In our sixty-ninth episode of The Crux, we welcome US chief communications officer for one of the world’s leading professional services firms KPMG, Maureen Davenport. Maureen joined KPMG herself in 2019 after an 8-year stint at Fannie Mae where she also served as CCO and helped drive its reputation and business performance. Within one year of joining KPMG, Maureen was tasked with the challenge of an executive transition as KPMG selected a new US Chair and CEO in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In our sixty-eighth episode of The Crux, we welcome back the dean of Boston University’s College of Communication, Mariette DiChristina. Before coming to BU, she was editor-in-chief and executive vice president of the highly respected magazine, Scientific American, as well as executive vice president of magazine publisher, Springer Nature. Mariette was the first woman to lead Scientific American since its founding in 1845. Previously, as executive editor of Popular Science, she was named Editor of the Year by the magazine’s publisher, Times Mirror Magazine. Mariette is completing her second academic year as dean of COM, and it’s been a time full of surprises and change in communications and society.