- Meet the People Shaping B2B PR and Communications
- TL;DR: Top B2B PR and Communications Influencers
- Why Follow PR and Communications Influencers
- 1. Michelle Garrett
- 2. Frank Strong
- 3. Gini Dietrich
- 4. Scott Baradell
- 5. Lindsey Groepper
- 6. Hajira Amla
- 7. Alysha Light
- 8. Kate Finley
- 9. Gina Rau
- 10. Amy Rosenberg
- 11. Jason Mudd
- 12. Elizabeth Edwards
- 13. Stephen Waddington
- 14. Sarah Waddington
- 15. Katie Delahaye Paine
- 16. Johna Burke
- 17. Richard Bagnall
- 18. Stuart Bruce
- 19. Andrew Bruce Smith
- 20. Shonali Burke
- 21. Molly McPherson
- 22. Shel Holtz
- 23. Neville Hobson
- 24. Deirdre Breakenridge
- 25. Serena Ehrlich
- How to Choose the Right PR and Communications Voices for Your Brand
- Put Trusted Expertise to Work for Your Brand
Meet the People Shaping B2B PR and Communications
Meet the People Shaping B2B PR and Communications
The most effective B2B PR leaders earn their influence by making others visible and driving real business outcomes. They shape perception, build media relationships that matter, and guide executives through decisions that impact pipeline and reputation. The best share what works, where they disagree with industry norms, and how they would approach the same challenge. For B2B communications leaders, following these voices is a shortcut to judgment and practical lessons that move communications strategy forward.
This list connects you with experts who can move your communications and business forward. Need practical B2B media relations? Start with Michelle Garrett. Rethinking PR measurement? Katie Delahaye Paine sets the standard. Each profile highlights the person’s experience and focus so you can quickly see who aligns with your business priorities and where their expertise will make a difference.
TL;DR: Top B2B PR and Communications Influencers
TL;DR: Top B2B PR and Communications Influencers
- Michelle Garrett offers practical B2B media relations advice grounded in journalism, consulting, and regular conversations with PR practitioners.
- Frank Strong examines communications research and industry trends, helping readers assess the evidence behind common PR recommendations.
- Gini Dietrich teaches communications teams how to connect paid, earned, shared, and owned media through the PESO Model.
- Scott Baradell explores B2B reputation and the independent evidence that helps companies earn buyer confidence.
- Lindsey Groepper brings a software PR perspective to executive visibility, company storytelling, and account-relevant communications.
Why Follow PR and Communications Influencers
Why Follow PR and Communications Influencers
The right expert changes how you pitch, brief executives, and report results. These voices sharpen your judgment where it counts, building credibility that drives pipeline, sales acceptance, and measurable business outcomes.
Find the Story Your Audience Will Care About
Most announcements matter more internally than they do to your market. The best PR voices show you how to find the angle that gets noticed, ask sharper questions, and back up claims with evidence. Their examples help you turn customer experience, research, or executive insight into stories that earn attention and drive the conversations that actually move your brand forward.
Understand How Trusted Voices Earn Their Place
Watch how these experts explain their thinking, handle tough questions, and admit what they do not know. That credibility matters in B2B. Look for relevant experience, a clear point of view, and an engaged audience. These signals separate valuable partners from empty reach.
Give Good Ideas More Opportunities to Be Heard
The best communicators build ideas across interviews, articles, and social channels. Watch how they adapt their message for each format and create real discussion. Apply that approach to your own executive content and earned coverage. A media win only matters if you know how to extend its reach and keep it driving results long after the headline fades.
Ask Better Questions About Reputation and Results
Measurement and crisis specialists help you move beyond surface reactions to campaigns or public statements. Their analysis gives you sharper questions to apply to your own work. Did the right audience see the message? Was the coverage accurate? Did it spark a useful conversation or surface a concern that needs action? Following their reasoning improves how you assess PR programs, prepare spokespeople, and connect communications activity with account engagement and pipeline impact where the evidence supports it.
We chose these 25 influencers for the depth of their PR and communications experience and the practical value of the work they share with B2B teams.
1. Michelle Garrett
1. Michelle Garrett
Practical B2B media relations grounded in a journalist’s understanding of stories
Michelle Garrett is a PR consultant, writer, and speaker who works with B2B technology, industrial, and manufacturing companies. Her journalism background informs how she identifies stories and prepares clients to speak with reporters. She wrote B2B PR That Gets Results and hosts PR Explored, where she interviews practitioners about the decisions communications teams face. Recent episodes address corporate statements, reputation, and the realities of in-house B2B PR.
Her content speaks to PR practitioners, independent consultants, and business leaders who need clear explanations of how media relations works. She connects the basics of a useful pitch with larger questions about trust, executive expertise, and sustained visibility. Following Garrett gives readers practical ways to improve their own announcements and briefings, along with regular introductions to other experienced communications voices.
Known for: Garrett specializes in making B2B expertise newsworthy and helping companies build productive relationships with industry media.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, YouTube, and the PR Explored podcast.
Best fit for brands: Technology, manufacturing, and industrial brands developing expert-led stories and a consistent media presence.
2. Frank Strong
2. Frank Strong
Research-led commentary on the decisions shaping B2B public relations
Frank Strong founded Sword and the Script Media, a consultancy focused on B2B PR, content, and social media. He also hosts The B2B Marketing and PR podcast. His professional background and long-running publishing practice give him a substantial body of work on communications strategy. He regularly examines industry surveys and research, including how changes in media and technology affect PR teams.
Strong writes for communications practitioners and B2B leaders who want evidence they can use in planning discussions. His analysis clearly distinguishes an interesting finding from a conclusion the data can support. Readers can follow him to sharpen their questions about PR investment, identify changes worth investigating, and develop a more informed view of the profession.
Known for: Strong interprets communications research and challenges weak assumptions about B2B PR effectiveness.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, the Sword and the Script blog, and podcast interviews.
Best fit for brands: B2B brands and communications providers that value research-backed perspectives on PR strategy and evaluation.
3. Gini Dietrich
3. Gini Dietrich
An established communications educator connecting the work across media channels
Gini Dietrich founded Spin Sucks and created the PESO Model, which brings paid, earned, shared, and owned media into a coordinated communications framework. Her work includes professional education, a podcast, and a community for practitioners. She draws on agency experience to explain how communications programs should operate across disciplines. Her recent publishing addresses AI-generated brand descriptions, reputation oversight, and the role of communications teams in managing those issues.
Her educational content is aimed at PR professionals, agency owners, and communications leaders responsible for connecting strategy with execution. Dietrich is particularly useful when readers need to understand how media placements, executive articles, and social distribution can reinforce one another. Following her can help a team improve coordination and ask more precise questions about what its communications program is accomplishing.
Known for: Dietrich develops practical frameworks for integrating media channels and making communications accountable to business objectives.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, Spin Sucks articles and newsletter, and the Spin Sucks podcast.
Best fit for brands: B2B brands coordinating earned media, executive content, and social activity across multiple teams.
4. Scott Baradell
4. Scott Baradell
A B2B reputation perspective built around evidence buyers can trust
Scott Baradell is the founder of Idea Grove, where he focuses on PR and visibility for B2B companies. His background includes journalism and technology communications. He is the author of Trust Signals and writes about how companies build credibility through independent evidence. His current writing also examines the relationship between earned authority and how brands are represented in AI-driven discovery.
Baradell’s content speaks to B2B executives and communications leaders who need to explain why a company deserves attention and confidence. His PR perspective connects reputation with the evidence buyers encounter outside a company’s own claims. Readers can use his work to think more carefully about media coverage, external validation, and the consistency of their public narrative.
Known for: Baradell examines how earned media and other independent signals establish credibility for B2B companies.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn and the Trust Signals blog.
Best fit for brands: B2B technology and services brands strengthening third-party validation and category credibility.
5. Lindsey Groepper
5. Lindsey Groepper
Software PR expertise connecting executive visibility with relevant business conversations
Lindsey Groepper is an executive at PANBlast with a PR career spanning growing SaaS businesses and established software companies. Her experience includes leading campaigns, developing clients, and agency marketing. Through interviews and published commentary, she explains how software businesses can establish a clearer presence in their markets. Her discussion of PR’s role in ABM illustrates how executive perspectives can support conversations with specific accounts.
Her content is relevant to SaaS communications leaders, CMOs, and founders deciding what PR should contribute as a company grows. She also comments on emerging earned-media channels and the changing role of reputation in discovery. Follow Groepper for a software-specific communications perspective on selecting stories, building executive authority, and making PR relevant to the business’s commercial priorities.
Known for: Groepper connects software-company storytelling, executive expertise, and account-relevant communications.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, PANBlast resources, and industry podcasts.
Best fit for brands: Software brands developing executive visibility and communications programs around priority markets and accounts.
6. Hajira Amla
6. Hajira Amla
Technical communications expertise with a focus on trust during change
Hajira Amla is a communications leader and change management practitioner with more than 20 years of experience in B2B deep tech and science. She began in journalism and editing before moving into PR and technical content. Through nectarcomms, she advises organizations on communicating through change and protecting their reputations as technology evolves. Her current work includes research, consulting, and training around AI adoption and stakeholder confidence.
Her writing and Human-Machine Relations podcast address communications practitioners and leaders working with complex technical subjects. Amla examines what new tools mean for professional standards, credibility, and the people expected to use them. Her value on this list is the communications lens she brings to technical change, particularly when a business must explain unfamiliar developments without losing accuracy or trust.
Known for: Amla makes technical subjects understandable while addressing the reputational and stakeholder implications of organizational change.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, nectarcomms articles, and the Human-Machine Relations podcast.
Best fit for brands: Deep-tech, scientific, and industrial brands communicating complex developments or major organizational transitions.
7. Alysha Light
7. Alysha Light
Communications counsel for founders and executives facing consequential public moments
Alysha Light founded Flight PR and advises founders and executive teams on high-stakes communications. Her experience spans technology, regulated markets, and other businesses navigating complex public narratives. Her work includes executive visibility, media relations, and crisis management. She also publishes commentary on the PR profession, including the credibility of expert sources and the quality of information entering the media.
Light’s content speaks to agency practitioners, founders, and communications leaders responsible for making sound decisions under scrutiny. Her perspective is useful when a company has a significant announcement or an executive needs to explain a difficult issue. Readers can follow her for candid analysis of how PR relationships work and what makes a public narrative defensible.
Known for: Light helps leaders navigate sensitive announcements, media scrutiny, and executive positioning.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, Flight PR articles, and industry speaking appearances.
Best fit for brands: Complex B2B businesses preparing for funding announcements, leadership transitions, expansion, or reputation-sensitive events.
8. Kate Finley
8. Kate Finley
Foodservice communications connecting industry voices with supplier credibility
Kate Finley founded Belle Communication, a PR and influencer agency with a strong focus on foodservice. Her background combines brand-side marketing experience with agency leadership. She publishes on supplier visibility, industry relationships, and how expert voices influence foodservice decisions. Her industry articles cover topics including chef influencers and the way restaurant buyers research suppliers.
Her work is written for foodservice brand leaders, supplier marketers, and communications teams serving the restaurant industry. Finley provides a concrete example of how PR and practitioner relationships operate within a specialized B2B market. Follow her for ideas about earning credibility through people who understand the product’s real-world use and can discuss it with authority.
Known for: Finley develops communications and influencer strategies around the relationships that shape foodservice purchasing.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, Belle Communication insights, and foodservice trade publications.
Best fit for brands: Foodservice suppliers, ingredient manufacturers, and restaurant technology brands seeking industry-specific credibility.
9. Gina Rau
9. Gina Rau
An in-house communications leader sharing the work behind B2B storytelling
Gina Rau is VP of Communications at 6sense, where she shapes the public narrative for a B2B technology company. Her career spans consumer and B2B marketing, with storytelling a recurring part of her work. In public interviews, she discusses how teams find and prioritize meaningful stories. Her recent appearance on PR Explored adds an in-house perspective on communications priorities and collaboration.
Rau’s commentary is especially relevant to corporate communications professionals and B2B marketing leaders who work closely with executives and internal experts. She highlights the coordination required before a story ever reaches a reporter. Following her can help readers think through which narratives deserve attention, how to gather the right internal input, and how communications fits within the wider organization.
Known for: Rau builds corporate narratives and explains how in-house teams surface and prioritize stories.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn and PR and communications podcast appearances.
Best fit for brands: B2B technology brands that want to align company storytelling with executive priorities and internal expertise.
10. Amy Rosenberg
10. Amy Rosenberg
Accessible PR education informed by years of hands-on agency work
Amy Rosenberg founded Veracity in 2008 after working her way through agency roles. She is the author of A Modern Guide to Public Relations and A Practical Guide to Public Relations. Her publishing and educational resources explain how to develop story ideas and approach media opportunities. The PR Talk archive adds interviews and lessons from her years of conversations with practitioners.
Her material serves PR professionals building their skills, business owners, and marketers with communications responsibilities. Rosenberg is particularly helpful when readers want an explanation they can apply to an actual announcement or media conversation. Her current writing also considers how digital discovery affects how companies present information, while keeping a practical foundation in PR.
Known for: Rosenberg teaches media relations, story development, and practical public relations execution.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, Veracity articles and educational videos, and the PR Talk archive.
Best fit for brands: B2B brands building PR capability and teams improving the quality of their stories and announcements.
11. Jason Mudd
11. Jason Mudd
Business-focused PR conversations for leaders responsible for corporate reputation
Jason Mudd is the CEO of Axia Public Relations and host of On Top of PR. His agency work includes helping businesses develop earned, shared, and owned media programs. The podcast brings practitioners together to discuss media relations, corporate communication, and measurement. Recent conversations include communications evaluation and the changing role of press releases in AI-driven discovery.
Mudd’s interviews and commentary are directed toward business leaders, marketing executives, and people managing PR programs. He often explores the practical questions behind a strategy, including the audience, the intended response, and how a company will assess results. His content provides a useful entry point for leaders who need to participate more effectively in communications planning.
Known for: Mudd explains corporate PR strategy through practitioner interviews and practical advice for business leaders.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, YouTube, and the On Top of PR podcast.
Best fit for brands: B2B services and established companies looking to build corporate visibility and more disciplined PR management.
12. Elizabeth Edwards
12. Elizabeth Edwards
Behavioral communication expertise for messages that require genuine audience understanding
Elizabeth Edwards founded Volume PR and Engagement Science Lab and works as a communications strategist, speaker, and trainer. Her experience includes B2B and technology communications. She applies behavioral and motivation research to the way organizations develop messages and engage audiences. Her professional work includes executive training and communications programs focused on how people interpret and respond to information.
Edwards addresses PR practitioners, communication leaders, and executives interested in how people respond to messages. Her perspective encourages teams to examine assumptions about what audiences understand, believe, and need. For B2B communicators explaining an unfamiliar solution or a significant change, her work offers a useful prompt to consider audience response before finalizing the language.
Known for: Edwards applies behavioral science to message development and professional communication.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, keynote presentations, and Volume PR educational resources.
Best fit for brands: Technology and complex B2B brands refining messages around uncertainty, change, or unfamiliar ideas.
13. Stephen Waddington
13. Stephen Waddington
Communications management research with a clear connection to organizational decisions
Stephen Waddington advises agencies and communications functions through Wadds Inc. His background includes senior agency roles, including chief engagement officer at Ketchum, and extensive writing on professional practice. He publishes research and commentary on communications’ management contribution. His recent work examines AI adoption, measurement, agency economics, and the pressure on senior practitioners to demonstrate value.
His writing is aimed at communications directors, agency leaders, and executives evaluating the role of PR within an organization. Waddington helps readers connect operational questions with leadership responsibilities. His newsletter helps readers understand how the profession is changing and build a stronger case for communications resources.
Known for: Waddington examines how communications functions contribute to management, organizational performance, and business decisions.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, the Wadds newsletter, and Better Business Outcomes.
Best fit for brands: B2B organizations developing senior communications capability and agencies advising executive teams.
14. Sarah Waddington
14. Sarah Waddington
PR industry leadership informed by governance, professional standards, and access
Sarah Waddington is CEO of the PRCA and a former president of the CIPR. Her background includes advising creative agencies and communications teams, as well as work in governance and professional development. She founded FuturePRoof, a publishing initiative examining public relations as a management function. She also co-founded Socially Mobile to improve access to professional development within PR.
Her public work addresses communications leaders, agency owners, and practitioners building their careers. Waddington brings questions of ethics, representation, and organizational capability into conversations about industry performance. Following her helps readers understand the standards and leadership practices that shape a credible communications function, including how teams develop and retain expertise.
Known for: Waddington champions professional standards, communications leadership, and broader access to careers in PR.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, PRCA commentary, and FuturePRoof publications.
Best fit for brands: B2B organizations investing in communications leadership, team development, and responsible professional practice.
15. Katie Delahaye Paine
15. Katie Delahaye Paine
A measurement specialist asking what communications actually changed
Katie Delahaye Paine founded Paine Publishing and has spent decades working in communications research and evaluation. She publishes The Measurement Advisor and develops educational resources for practitioners. Her work examines reputation, relationships, and the evidence used to assess PR performance. Her 2026 publishing includes updated measurement training and commentary on how communicators demonstrate their contribution.
Paine writes for communications managers, research specialists, and leaders responsible for explaining results. Her work encourages readers to define success before selecting metrics or commissioning a dashboard. Following her is valuable when a team needs to evaluate whether its messages reached the right people, affected understanding, or supported a meaningful organizational objective.
Known for: Paine develops practical approaches to evaluating reputation, stakeholder relationships, and communications outcomes.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, Paine Publishing, The Measurement Advisor, and training programs.
Best fit for brands: B2B brands establishing credible PR measurement and communications teams reporting to senior leadership.
16. Johna Burke
16. Johna Burke
Global measurement standards grounded in experience on both sides of PR
Johna Burke is CEO and global managing director of AMEC, the international association for communications measurement and evaluation. She previously led PR and investor relations for a Fortune 500 company. That experience gives her a practitioner’s view of the questions measurement programs need to answer. Her speaking and educational work addresses evaluation standards, objective setting, and responsible interpretation of results.
Burke’s professional audience includes in-house communicators, agency leaders, and measurement providers. She helps frame evaluation as a discipline that begins with planning and continues through reporting. Readers can follow her to understand the standards behind credible measurement and to develop more useful conversations with research partners and internal stakeholders.
Known for: Burke advances communications evaluation standards and helps practitioners connect measurement with clearly defined objectives.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, AMEC resources, industry conferences, and podcast interviews.
Best fit for brands: B2B brands standardizing PR evaluation across agencies, markets, or business units.
17. Richard Bagnall
17. Richard Bagnall
Media intelligence expertise focused on the quality of communications evidence
Richard Bagnall is a co-founder of CommsClarity Consulting and a specialist in PR measurement, research, and evaluation. His career includes leadership roles at Metrica, Gorkana, PRIME Research, and CARMA. He has also held a prominent role in AMEC’s work, including serving as chair. His current public commentary continues to examine evidence-led PR and the challenges of demonstrating communications value.
His work is relevant to communications leaders, analysts, and agency teams responsible for interpreting media data. Bagnall brings experience from the businesses that collect and evaluate that information, which helps readers scrutinize what reporting products actually show. Follow him for a more informed view of research design, media intelligence, and the limits of common PR metrics.
Known for: Bagnall helps organizations assess the reliability and relevance of media intelligence and PR measurement.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, professional training, conference presentations, and industry interviews.
Best fit for brands: B2B brands reviewing measurement vendors or building a defensible approach to evaluating communications.
18. Stuart Bruce
18. Stuart Bruce
A PR futurist examining technology through reputation and professional judgment
Stuart Bruce is co-founder and co-CEO of Purposeful Relations and publishes as the PR Futurist. He advises leaders in public relations, communications, and corporate affairs on the implications of technology for reputation and trust. His work includes consultancy, training, and analysis of professional practice. His PR Futurist publication focuses on how communications teams can adapt their work as AI develops.
Bruce writes for in-house and agency communicators who need to make practical choices about new capabilities. He emphasizes the communications function, including its responsibilities and decision-making. Following him can help leaders consider how tools affect research, reputation oversight, and workflows before changing their programs.
Known for: Bruce evaluates the implications of AI and technology for PR, corporate affairs, and reputation management.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, PR Futurist, his professional blog, and training events.
Best fit for brands: B2B communications departments modernizing their work while protecting accuracy, trust, and professional oversight.
19. Andrew Bruce Smith
19. Andrew Bruce Smith
Practical technology training rooted in the daily work of communicators
Andrew Bruce Smith is the managing director of Escherman and a longstanding digital PR consultant and trainer. His background spans journalism and communications programs for major technology businesses. He has contributed to industry research on AI applications in public relations. His training work explores how communications practitioners can evaluate and implement new tools within real professional workflows.
His material addresses PR practitioners, agency teams, and corporate communicators developing technical skills. Smith brings a hands-on perspective to the questions that arise after a new capability has attracted attention. Follow him to understand how changes in research, analysis, and content production may affect communications work and what practitioners need to learn to use those capabilities well.
Known for: Smith teaches communications professionals how to evaluate AI tools and apply them to PR workflows.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, Escherman resources, and professional training workshops.
Best fit for brands: PR technology providers and B2B communications teams developing practical digital capabilities.
20. Shonali Burke
20. Shonali Burke
Strategic communications connecting community relationships with organizational purpose
Shonali Burke is chief of marketing and strategic communications at the League of Women Voters of the United States. Her background includes communications work for the ASPCA, Oxfam America, and USA for UNHCR, as well as leadership roles in the arts. She also teaches in Johns Hopkins University’s communication program. Across those roles, her work has combined storytelling, community engagement, and data-driven strategy.
Burke’s professional commentary is relevant to communications leaders, practitioners, and students learning how to connect public engagement with organizational goals. In her current nonprofit role, she brings strategic communications expertise to the discussion. B2B readers can learn from her approach to stakeholder relationships, campaign purpose, and developing narratives that people have a reason to care about.
Known for: Burke connects community-centered storytelling with measurable engagement and organizational objectives.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, professional speaking, and communications education.
Best fit for brands: Mission-led B2B organizations building stakeholder relationships and communicating a clear corporate purpose.
21. Molly McPherson
21. Molly McPherson
Crisis analysis explaining why public responses earn trust or deepen scrutiny
Molly McPherson is a crisis communications strategist and keynote speaker with a background that includes FEMA. She advises leaders on handling public pressure and protecting credibility during difficult situations. Her podcast The PR Breakdown publication and podcast analyze public controversies and the responses behind them. She also develops practical resources and delivers training on crisis readiness and leadership communication.
Her content serves communications professionals and business leaders while also reaching a broader audience interested in reputation and public accountability. McPherson makes crisis mechanics understandable by examining timing, tone, and the gap between a statement and the audience’s concerns. B2B leaders can follow her to improve their judgment about when to respond, what a response needs to address, and how leadership behavior affects trust.
Known for: McPherson analyzes reputation crises and teaches leaders how to communicate credibly under public scrutiny.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, Instagram, Substack, and The PR Breakdown podcast.
Best fit for brands: B2B brands preparing executives for public scrutiny, sensitive issues, and reputation risk.
22. Shel Holtz
22. Shel Holtz
Corporate communications experience spanning employee trust and public reputation
Shel Holtz is a corporate communications practitioner and longtime educator on the relationship between communication and technology. He co-founded For Immediate Release with Neville Hobson in 2005. The podcast continues to examine developments affecting professional communicators. His recent LinkedIn writing also addresses AI’s role in PR and the responsibilities that remain with human practitioners.
Holtz’s work speaks to corporate communications professionals, internal communicators, and PR leaders. He considers employees and other organizational stakeholders alongside external audiences. Following him gives readers a broader view of how public messaging, internal understanding, and leadership decisions interact, particularly as technology changes how information is produced and shared.
Known for: Holtz examines employee communication, corporate reputation, and how new media affects professional practice.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, For Immediate Release, and his communications blog.
Best fit for brands: Established B2B organizations aligning employee communication with external reputation and leadership messaging.
23. Neville Hobson
23. Neville Hobson
Digital communications commentary shaped by decades of professional observation
Neville Hobson is a business communicator and co-founder of the For Immediate Release podcast. He has spent decades writing about the relationship between organizational communication, technology, and changing behavior. His current publishing explores trust, ethics, and the practical effects of AI on communications work. Alongside the podcast, his personal publication offers longer reflections on developments in the profession.
His content is aimed at communicators who need to understand the implications of changes in media and technology. Hobson’s perspective is especially useful for readers interested in how those changes affect stakeholder confidence and professional responsibility. Following him adds context to conversations about new channels and tools, including questions that can be overlooked in a product demonstration.
Known for: Hobson explores how digital change affects corporate communication, ethics, and stakeholder trust.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, his personal publication, and For Immediate Release.
Best fit for brands: B2B organizations examining the reputational and stakeholder implications of changing communications practices.
24. Deirdre Breakenridge
24. Deirdre Breakenridge
Executive communication education connecting message, delivery, and audience perception
Deirdre Breakenridge is a communications strategist, author, and media trainer with a background in agency leadership and work with senior executives. Her professional education spans PR, digital communication, and public speaking. She also teaches through LinkedIn Learning and publishes The Influential Communicator. Her recent writing examines executive presence and how voice, facial expression, and other nonverbal signals affect the way a message is received.
Her content serves business leaders, spokespeople, and communications practitioners developing their presentation and advisory skills. Breakenridge gives readers a way to examine delivery alongside a statement’s wording. Following her can support better interview preparation, more confident public communication, and a stronger understanding of why an audience may interpret a message differently from its speaker.
Known for: Breakenridge helps leaders improve executive presence, message delivery, and their connection with an audience.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, LinkedIn Learning, The Influential Communicator, and her professional website.
Best fit for brands: B2B brands developing executive spokespeople for interviews, presentations, and public-facing leadership roles.
25. Serena Ehrlich
25. Serena Ehrlich
Newswire experience informing the creation and distribution of company news
Serena Ehrlich is director of go-to-market at Notified, with a background that includes leadership roles at Business Wire and extensive experience in news distribution. Her public education focuses on the ways companies create, format, and share announcements. She publishes practical advice on press release performance, multimedia, and changing discovery habits. Her recent interviews examine how communications teams should think about news releases as information for multiple audiences.
Her work is aimed at PR and investor relations practitioners, corporate communicators, and teams responsible for company news. Ehrlich offers a distribution perspective that complements advice about pitching journalists. Follow her to learn how an announcement’s structure and presentation affect its usefulness, and how to assess what a news release accomplished.
Known for: Ehrlich explains how news formatting, multimedia, and distribution choices affect announcement engagement.
Main platform(s): LinkedIn, Notified educational articles, webinars, and podcast interviews.
Best fit for brands: B2B brands with regular product, corporate, or investor announcements and teams improving news distribution.
How to Choose the Right PR and Communications Voices for Your Brand
How to Choose the Right PR and Communications Voices for Your Brand
Start with the expertise your team or audience actually needs. A practitioner who understands technical media is valuable for a product announcement. A corporate communications specialist is more useful during organizational change. Read several pieces of their work and look for evidence of experience, sound judgment, and a consistent point of view. The best fit is obvious when you see substance and commercial relevance in what they share.
Look Closely at the Audience
For a potential collaboration, assess whether the person actually reaches the roles and communities relevant to your ICP. A respected PR educator may be valuable to a communications technology provider but less relevant to manufacturing customers. Examine the conversations around their content, ask for audience information, and evaluate past collaborations where available. Both the subject they know and the people who listen matter if you want to drive real business outcomes.
Build Around Their Actual Expertise
Choose a format that lets the expert contribute something useful. That might be an interview, a research discussion, a webinar, or a series of co-created articles. Their role should match what they know and how they already communicate with their audience. A credible partnership needs a topic they can discuss with authority and enough editorial freedom for their contribution to deliver real value.
Plan the Distribution and Measurement Together
Decide how the content will reach your intended audience and what a useful response looks like before production begins. Consider organic distribution, relevant media opportunities, and paid amplification where it makes sense. Evaluate qualified engagement and account interest alongside reach, then follow activity through to pipeline and revenue when your data allows. This gives the program a clear purpose and a stronger basis for future investment.
Put Trusted Expertise to Work for Your Brand
Put Trusted Expertise to Work for Your Brand
Following the right people sharpens your team’s thinking. Building relationships with relevant experts gives your buyers access to trusted perspectives. The opportunity starts with finding people who understand your market, creating something worth their audience’s time, and ensuring that work reaches the conversations that drive business results.
Directive’s B2B Influencer capability helps brands identify relevant practitioners, develop ongoing partnerships, and create content grounded in real expertise. Within our Communications division, that work connects with PR, Organic Social, and Paid Social so expert perspectives can support earned coverage, executive visibility, and broader distribution. Guided by DiscoverabilityOS™, we align those efforts with buyer preference and measurable pipeline impact.
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Graysen Christopher
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