Director, Corporate Leadership & Transformation Communications

Director, Corporate Leadership & Transformation Communications

Chicago, Illinois, United States

The Opportunity

Brunswick Group, a strategic advisory firm focused on critical issues, is seeking a Director in Chicago with expertise in counseling consumer companies and business leaders on a wide range of high-stakes issues to join its Consumer Industries Sector (CIG) team. In addition to client-facing responsibilities, the CIG Director will play an important role in the development and internal leadership of the sector team, one of the largest at the firm. Directors along with Partners serve as firm leaders and play a critical role in driving client work and the overall success of the firm.

Brunswick is a widely recognized industry leader. For nearly four decades, Brunswick has consistently ranked at the top of our industry's league tables for M&A communications on a country, regional, and global basis. Over the last five years, the firm has advised on more than 1,000 M&A transactions totaling $2 trillion in value. In 2024, Brunswick ranked the #1 global M&A communications advisor, advising on 295 transactions valued at $583B. We were also awarded the Band 1 ranking by Chambers and Partners for Crisis & Risk Management for four consecutive years – 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Our Chicago office serves as the global hub for our consumer industries sector, working with clients in retail, food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, and hospitality, and is one of the fastest growing offices in our network. Founded in 2017, the office has grown from four to nearly 50 professionals and the home office for some of our highest profile client work in the region.

About the Role

Client Contribution & Handling

• Deliver strategic advice to consumer industries clients, drawing on specialist communications expertise and depth of professional advisory experience
• Demonstrate deep knowledge of the clients' business and strategic communications issues spanning financial situations, crisis, litigation, and/or transformation
• Monitor level of account profitability and intervene as necessary

Communication Skills

• Express a point of view in a thoughtful manner; analyze and distill complex information
• Write thoughtful, well-structured content; consider audience in style and tone of communications
• Exhibit and exercise sound judgement and discretion
• Question and challenge in a constructive way; present unpopular ideas to senior executives with poise and confidence

Business Development

• Source new business opportunities along with Partner, apply knowledge and experience to lead well-run pitch teams and drive the pitch preparation
• Use deep knowledge of key sectors to promote new business approaches and ideas
• Assist in pitches across regions and sectors
• Identify new opportunities to deliver other Brunswick expertise to existing clients; actively pursue and secure extensions of client relationships
• Build and maintain strong external networks to deliver valuable insight to clients and the firm

Teams

• Actively and effectively manage account teams; drive the day-to-day
• Keep the Partner and other team members informed of account and project status
• Foster development of team members' skills and client handling ability by identifying new challenges and encouraging team to stretch where appropriate

What We're Looking For

• 15+ years of experience in advising clients in the consumer sector, including c-suite stakeholders, on strategic communications for critical issues (i.e., Litigation, Financial Situations, Crisis)
• Extensive expertise and focus on understanding key stakeholders and issues within consumer industries sub-sectors such as retail, hospitality, CPG
• Experience managing teams of five or more people
• Proven ability to successfully interact with top-tier media in proactive and reactive situations
• Strong work ethic and attention to detail; client service-orientation
• Exceptional research, writing and communication skills
• Ability to multitask and prioritize competing deadlines with attention to detail
• Exhibit discretion with confidential client matters
• Strong financial acumen, interest, and understanding of capital markets and a range of business and financial situations involving U.S. public companies
• Appetite for consuming a wide range of news from multiple sources
• Emotionally intelligent and adept at "reading the room"
• Professional polish, energy, and clear leadership skills
• Natural team player who invests in the people around them
• Entrepreneurial, collaborative and comfortable in a "roll your sleeves up environment"
• Adept at navigating and succeeding within high-performance, high-standards environments

Why Join Us

Whether you are joining a client facing team, a core services team, or starting out on your professional career journey, joining Brunswick unlocks a range of exceptional employee benefits to support your financial future, health and wellness, family and community and continuous professional development.

The successful applicant will be eligible for the following compensation and benefits package:

Base Pay: The annual base compensation range for this role is $190,000-$240,000. The base pay offered will be determined by factors including experience, skills, training, office location, certifications, and education.

Bonus Eligibility: Annual discretionary bonus contingent upon individual and firm-wide performance.

Benefits: Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance. Disability insurance. Employee assistance program. Flexible spending account. Health savings account. Life insurance. Commuter Benefits. Generous Paid Time Off: 25 vacation days and 10 days sick leave, as well as 11 paid company holidays. Firm-sponsored 401(k) Plan with 3% automatic company contribution of base and bonus with an additional 1.5% profit share– immediate vesting. Career training and development opportunities. Employee discounts.

Office Policy: At Brunswick, our work is a craft that thrives in teaching environments – whether in our offices or on-site with clients – through real-time observation, collaboration, human connection, clear guidance and by challenging one another to keep getting better. Our policy is that our team members are in person – either in the office or on-site with clients – at least four days each week.

The firm will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified applicants or employees, as defined by applicable law. In addition to the application, the process may include virtual and in-person interviews, as well as an assessment, which may be timed. To request an accommodation during our application and hiring process, email View email address on click.appcast.io .

About Brunswick

Brunswick is a global advisory firm. We help companies tackle high-stakes issues, navigate complex stakeholder relationships, and deliver high-impact outcomes.

Our clients value our ability to anticipate, shape, and respond to the key players and forces in the financial and investment arena, regulatory and geopolitical universe, NGO community, workforce and beyond. They rely on us for deep experience, fresh perspectives and original thinking. So, in Brunswick you will find an exceptional range of experience and talent with a rich mix of backgrounds. From the beginning, we have prioritized attracting, developing, and retaining the best professionals in the industry, united by a culture of inclusivity, excellence, and intellectual curiosity.

Founded in 1987 in London, the firm has organically grown to 27 offices in 18 countries across the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia. We operate as a "one-firm firm" with no individual profit centers. This allows us to assemble fully integrated, bespoke teams for each client, able to draw on the full resources of Brunswick anywhere in the world.

Brunswick is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable law. Please read our Global Privacy Notice to understand how your data is managed.