WomenHeard

“I’ve always been a person who has strong opinions. But having an opinion is not always the same as making a decision… I try to balance gut instinct with data.”  In this episode, Womenheard: Changemakers host Georgia Galanoudis speaks with Leah Meranus, CEO, North America of dentsu X - a global media agency within dentsu, known for its unique ability to defy convention to deliver meaningful outcom...

"You have to master the art of seeing things unseen. Whether you're looking at trends, whether you're looking at data - the data, the trends - tell a story." In this episode, WomenHeard host Julie Hochheiser Ilkovich sits down with Brandi Boatner, incoming 2025 President of New York Women in Communications! Brandi has been recognized and named by PR News as a Changemaker and one of the Top Women i...

"Whatever the context is, whatever the setting that we're operating in - ultimately, as leaders, we are in the business of building relationships." In this episode, WomenHeard: Changemakers host Georgia Galanoudis speaks with Jill Cress, Chief Marketing & Experience Officer at H&R Block - a leader in tax preparation services. A 2024 Matrix Awards honoree, Jill's extensive brand experience...

"You know, nobody's working on their Plan A... I'm in the middle of the alphabet somewhere - but most people are on Plan B, Plan C, Plan D - particularly when you get to my age. So, I think that's healthy for people to realize. Your first act doesn't have to be your only act.”   In this episode, WomenHeard host Julie Hochheiser Ilkovich speaks with Liz Georges, Senior Director of Climate Communica...

"Am I going to be uncomfortable and leave here with nothing? Or am I going to be uncomfortable and make a connection?" In this specially recorded conversation from NYWICI's  Communications Career Conference  at Spotify Headquarters, you'll hear a fireside chat with two inspiring leaders: Tammy Tibbetts, Co-Founder and CEO of  She’s the First , a global nonprofit advancing girls' education and lead...

"Your career is not a yellow-brick road. It's not going to begin one place and end neatly someplace else."  In this episode, WomenHeard host Julie Hochheiser Ilkovich speaks with Asha Curran, CEO of  GivingTuesday  - a global giving network that embodies radical generosity. What started as a hashtag in 2012 following Black Friday's shopping surge (#GivingTuesday) has become a powerful network of l...

"Every day is an opportunity to learn something, to challenge yourself. It doesn't end - especially in a business like ours." In this episode, WomenHeard: Changemakers host Georgia Galanoudis speaks with Daisy Expósito-Ulla, 2018 inductee of the Advertising Hall of Fame by the American Advertising Federation (AAF) and CEO of  d exposito & partners . A former Matrix Awards winner,...

"There's a huge percentage of the population that's not thinking about their potential." In this episode, WomenHeard host Julie Hochheiser Ilkovich speaks with Erin Loos Cutraro in a pivotal presidential election year. As the Founder and CEO of  She Should Run , Erin leads this national, nonpartisan nonprofit seeking to drastically increase the number of women considering a run f...

“From Day 1, my experience in life is [that] you fight. You’re resilient. No matter what life hands to you, you take it and you make lemonade out of it.” In this episode, WomenHeard: Changemakers host Georgia Galanoudis speaks with Zain Habboo, Chief Marketing & Mobilization Officer at International Rescue Committee – one of the world’s largest emergency relief organizations. The ability to bu...

"We are not the people this [system] is designed for so there's this whole scarcity energy to fight so hard... but there's room for all of us."  In this episode, WomenHeard host Julie Hochheiser Ilkovich interviews Sara Rodriguez .  A former ballet dancer who studied political science, she became passionate about how policies and grassroots work can create impactful, societal cha...

Caroline Hofmann, Chief Business Officer, Thirty Madison “Don't get discouraged by the first interruption.” In this episode, WomenHeard host Julie Hochheiser Ilkovich interviews Caroline Hofmann of  Thirty Madison , which offers virtual-first healthcare access. Working as a consultant at McKinsey gave her the "itch to build something" and she pivoted to an early-stage fintech startup...

"I've always gone into things with a lot of curiosity and learned by doing." In this episode, WomenHeard: Changemakers host Georgia Galanoudis speaks with Katherine Barna. As the Head of PR for Waymo (formerly the Google self- driving car project), a pioneering technology company on a mission to be the world's most trusted driver, she's built upon her strong foundation of bra...

"I know that it means a lot to me when I see people who have gone through a lot in their lives and have overcome it." In this episode, WomenHeard host Julie Hochheiser Ilkovich interviews Checkey Beckford ,  an Emmy® Award-winning reporter for NBC 4 New York. A Jamaican immigrant who got her start in PR, Checkey transitioned to broadcast reporting - writing, shooting and editing her own...

"The way I've had to show up in rooms, [I've] done my fair share of swimming upstream... but when you're someone who's faced adversity, there's a confidence that exudes after that." In this episode, WomenHeard: Changemakers host Georgia Galanoudis speaks with Matrix 2024 Honoree Rakia Reynolds! As the Founder and Executive Officer of an award-winning strategic communi...

The Matrix Awards by NYWICI serves as our opportunity to recognize exceptional leaders in the communications industry. This year’s theme is Rule Breakers! The 2024 honorees don't just accept the status quo, they are carving their own paths forward and rewriting the rules to success. Listen to this episode to hear directly from some of our honorees, host, scholarship recipients, and attendees! ...

“Always learn the ‘other thing’ – it doesn’t hurt to have an extra skill set.” In this interview, WomenHeard host Julie Hochheiser Ilkovich speaks with Tess Quinlan, a NYWICI Scholarship Winner, Content Planning Lead for the NBA, and MBA graduate. Tess began her career in broadcast communications at Marquette University and an internship at Yahoo Sports. Learning a little bit about every sport was...

"Get comfortable talking about yourself... it's not bragging if it's based on facts." Cate Luzio spent two decades in financial services, most recently as the Global Head of Multinational Corporate Banking for HSBC, before she made a sharp career pivot. In 2018, she launched and self-funded  Luminary , a global, membership-based professional education and networking platform offe...

"You may lose a job you love, you may have someone betray you... this will not define you." In this episode, WomenHeard: Changemakers host Georgia Galanoudis speaks with Kristi VandenBosch, President at OLIVER Agency. Formerly the CEO of Publicis, Chief Digital Officer of MXM (now Accenture Song) and Senior Vice President at Revlon, Kristi's leadership in communications has given her...

"Pull others up with you as you climb." If you're seeking a new role, striving for better pay, or preparing yourself for layoffs affecting the communications, media and tech industries, this episode will give you clarity on resilience in all types of career transitions. With an effective coaching style that's been highlighted in TIME, Fortune, and Fast Company (to name a few!), ...

"Don't ask for permission" may be your next confidence builder after listening to this episode! WomenHeard host Julie Hochheiser Ilkovich interviewed New York Women in Communications' new President, Laura Brusca. Laura started her career at a NYC agency, Ruder Finn, where she found creative outlets by raising her hand for new initiatives. From working on a program for life-saving...

"In order to reach and engage our audience, [marketers] need to invest in culture and in language." In this episode, WomenHeard: Changemakers host Georgia Galanoudis speaks with Donna Speciale, a 2023 Matrix Award Winner and President of U.S. Advertising, Sales and Marketing at TelevisaUnivison. Through leading a major division at the world's largest Spanish language media company, D...

"Storytelling means sticking with what you want people to feel, not just know." In this episode, WomenHeard: Changemakers host Georgia Galanoudis speaks with Linda Boff, Chief Marketing Officer at GE and a 2016 NYWICI Matrix Honoree. Linda is accountable for a diverse portfolio of global marketing, advertising, brand, content, digital, sponsorships, as well as corporate communications, c...

"You're never at a standstill in terms of your growth." In this episode, WomenHeard: Changemakers host Georgia Galanoudis speaks with Christine Elliott, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Moody's Corporation and a 2023 NYWICI Matrix Award Winner. Christine's 25-year career in communications started with ABC News and she continued a fast-paced trajectory through American Expre...

In partnership with NYWICI and Kaplow, Roadmap for Change is a communications mentorship program aimed at increasing opportunities for members of historically excluded groups. Pairing with another colleague in the early-career stage, Roadmap for Change provides access and exposure to develop professional goals, while also diversifying the pipeline of entry-level talent in the communications sector...

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, celebrating a powerful community that advocates for everything from remote work to accessible travel to more positive representation in the media. In this episode, WomenHeard: Changemakers host Georgia Galanoudis talks with Mindy Henderson, Editor-in-Chief of Quest Media. This adaptive lifestyle platform for the Muscular Dystrophy Associat...