Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara steps back to reflect on the biggest insights emerging from her ongoing Path to the CCO+ conversations — and speaks directly to communications professionals who may feel that the CCO seat, or even strategic influence, still feels out of reach.

Drawing from her interviews with Judy Rader, Stephanie Roberts, Libby May, and Bianca Olson, Tara distills the common threads that define today's most successful communications leaders. She explores how communicators can elevate their roles from tactical execution to true business partnership — and why progress in this field is less about a single leap and more about consistent movement along a continuum of maturity and influence.

Tara shares what every communicator needs to know to advocate for their function, design structures that earn trust, and communicate with authority — even when the organization isn't "ready" yet. She also reframes ambition, structure, and business fluency as the cornerstones of lasting credibility, encouraging listeners to see themselves not as support players, but as essential architects of strategy and reputation.

In this podcast episode, Tara covers:

• The evolution of the Path to CCO+ series and what patterns have emerged
• Why no one's career path … or company … is ever truly "ready
• The myth of "it's different here" and the universal challenges communicators face
• Ambition as an asset: self-authorship and permission to claim your influence
• Business fluency as legitimacy: learn how your company makes and measures value
• Structure matters: centralization, visibility, and proximity to decision-makers
• From seat to strategy: shifting from communication about decisions to input on them
• Measuring what doesn't happen: recognizing and communicating the invisible wins
• Communications as governance: why the function now shapes risk, trust, and reputation
• Encouragement for communicators at every level: influence begins before the title

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about working with Tara or sign up for her newsletter, Level Up: Be Extra.

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a program designed for women in communications in corporate, healthcare, and higher education—helping them advance their careers through mentorship, professional development, and community.

If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review—it helps elevate our field and ensures more communicators have a voice at the table.

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara sits down with Bianca Olson, Chief Communications Officer at HMH (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)—a learning company focused on the K–12 market—where she reports directly to the CEO.

Bianca traces her path from agency PR during the dot-com era to leading a modern communications function inside a complex, mission-driven organization. She shares how she broadened from external PR to a full corporate scope (internal, external, CSR, and more), why relationship-building is the cornerstone of strategic influence, and how communicators can be seen and used as critical business advisors rather than "order takers." The conversation digs into measurement (including the "invisible" wins), team design in different business models, and the future of the field amid polarization, AI, and shifting media.

In this podcast episode, Tara and Bianca cover:

• Career path: agency to in-house, and growing from specialist to enterprise-level leader
• Core skills of the craft: crisp writing, strategic storytelling, and making complex topics simple
• From tactics to strategy: building trust so partners seek counsel (not just press releases)
• Relationship-building that lasts: be likable without being an order taker; partner, don't placate
• Learn the business: curiosity, cross-functional fluency, and asking the "obvious" questions
• Team building: hire experts, empower them, and lead without "knowing it all"
• Structure realities: why the "right" comms org depends on industry, regulation, team expertise and goals
• Measurement that matters: quality over volume, trendlines over time, and narrating risk avoided
• Budget/resource advocacy: use metrics and executive-friendly rationale to win support
• Future of comms: polarization, evolving earned/owned media, AI's impact, and the "chief sense-maker" role Encouragement for rising leaders: stick with it—this work is impactful, rewarding, and growing in strategic importance

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about working with Tara or sign up for her newsletter, Level Up: Be Extra.

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a program designed for women in communications in corporate, healthcare, and higher education—helping them advance their careers through mentorship, professional development, and community.

If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review—it helps elevate our field and ensures more communicators have a voice at the table.

Meet Bianca Olson:

Chief Communications Officer

HMH

Bianca Olson is a seasoned communications and corporate affairs executive with deep experience driving strategic transformation and shaping identity. She brings a proven ability to lead through change, build trust across stakeholders, and craft compelling narratives that align purpose with performance.

As Senior Vice President and Chief Communication Officer at HMH, Bianca has been instrumental in guiding the company's evolution—from a traditional publisher to a modern technology-driven organization—while leading communications and corporate affairs at the intersection of innovation, impact and growth. Her leadership has helped define HMH's voice through major milestones including an IPO, multiple acquisitions, leadership transitions, and a private equity buyout, with a strong focus on change management and stakeholder alignment.

Over more than a decade at HMH, she has led external and internal communications and corporate social responsibility, helping the organization navigate complexity with clarity and confidence.

Bianca began her career on the agency side, where she advised Fortune 500 companies and mission-driven organizations on reputation management, media strategy, and stakeholder engagement. That experience honed her ability to manage high-stakes communications and laid the foundation for her thoughtful, high-impact leadership in-house.

She is known for her principled approach to sensitive issues, helping HMH communicate with authenticity in a polarized environment. Bianca has also championed thought leadership platforms that elevate executive voices and position the company as a forward-thinking force.

A trusted advisor to C-suite leaders and a collaborative partner across functions, Bianca brings a unique blend of strategic insight, operational rigor, and creative storytelling. She is passionate about aligning purpose with performance and believes in the power of communications to drive culture and earn trust.

Bianca is a graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, and lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts with her husband and son.

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara sits down with Libby May, Chief External Affairs and Communications Officer at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)—the nation's largest provider of nonprofit higher education, serving over 200,000 learners.

Libby shares how she built and now leads a 65-person External Affairs and Communications team encompassing communications, events, alumni engagement, donor and community relations, and government affairs—reporting to the university president. She explains why SNHU intentionally separates marketing from communications, how her centralized model and evolving structure strengthens reputation management and responsiveness in a highly regulated industry, and what it takes to grow a function from a team of one to a team of many.

Tara and Libby discuss:

• The scope and structure of a 65-person External Affairs and Communications team
• Why marketing and communications sit separately—and still work hand-in-hand
• Leading through regulation: how comms and government affairs integrate in higher ed and what similar highly regulated industries have in common.
• The difference between being "likable" and being an order taker—and how trust drives influence
• Centralizing communications: how to align internal, PR, and external relations for impact
• Measuring the "invisible" work of communications and taking credit for unseen wins
• Advocating for budget and resources: using evidence, readiness, and audience awareness
• The power of systems thinking: how being a "business advisor first" and a universal leader brings you a level further in your career
• Libby's evolution from agency leader to CCO—and how she shaped her own role
• Why curiosity, ambition, and continuous learning (including earning her MBA) fuel long-term leadership success
• AI as "the best intern you've ever had"—how to embrace technology while elevating "heart work"

Libby also reflects on the importance of being approachable and human as a leader, and the courage it takes for communicators—especially women—to own their ambition and advocate for their seat at the table. (YES!!)

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about working with Tara or sign up for her newsletter, Level Up: Be Extra.

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a program designed for women in communications in corporate, healthcare, and higher education—helping them advance their careers through mentorship, professional development, and community.

If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review—it helps elevate our field and ensures more communicators have a voice at the table.

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara sits down with Stephanie Roberts, Chief Communications Officer at Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems, a global company within the Hitachi Ltd. family. Joining from Japan, Stephanie shares how she leads a 25+ person global function spanning Japan, the U.S., Europe, China, and Southeast Asia—and why Communications now reports directly to the CEO.

Stephanie walks through how she evolved Communications from a department nested under "sustainability" into a centralized, C-suite–level function that integrates corporate communications, branding, events & exhibitions, and digital. She also gets candid about advocating for resources, educating executives in different cultural contexts, and measuring the value of good counsel—especially the crises that never happen because Comms shaped smarter decisions upstream.

For anyone aiming to lead at the highest levels of Communications, this conversation is packed with practical guidance on structure, influence, and impact. In this episode, Tara and Stephanie cover:

• Why Communications moved to report to the CEO—and what changed
• Team design at a global scale: four sub-teams (Corporate Comms, Brand, Events/Exhibitions, Digital) and why internal + external were combined
• Centralizing the function to align messaging and increase effectiveness across regions
• Benchmarks vs. business need: how to size and shape a team without "comparison traps"
• Educating executives (and peers) so Comms is required in the room, not invited late
• Measuring the "art" of counsel: using outcomes, behavior change, and credible anecdotes
• Budget & headcount advocacy: tying roles to business risk, reputation, and AI-era search visibility
• Skills for senior leaders: relationship-building, tenacity, and being a truth-teller
• Global realities: leading in Japan, KPI-heavy cultures, and the rise of internal comms
• The field's opportunities and pressures: crisis readiness, employee engagement, AI ethics
• Career advice: raise your hand for hard assignments—the moves that accelerate growth

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about working with Tara or sign up for her newsletter, Level Up: Be Extra.

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a program designed for women in communications in corporate, healthcare, and higher education—helping them advance their careers through mentorship, professional development, and community.

If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review—it helps elevate our field and ensures more communicators have a voice at the table.

Meet Stephanie Roberts:

As Chief Communications Officer at Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems (HIES), Stephanie Roberts is responsible for the company's internal and external communications and branding strategy. She serves on the senior executive committee, leading a global team across internal and external communications, media relations, branding, crisis communications, social media, the company website, events and more.

More than three years ago, Stephanie moved to Tokyo as the first expat sent to HIES' HQ. She also works with teams across the Americas, China, Southeast Asia and EMEA and, driven by her passion for storytelling and exploring different cultures, has traveled to more than 30 countries.

Follow Stephanie Roberts on LinkedIn to continue the conversation and learn from her global perspective on Communications leadership.

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara sits down with Judy Rader, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Chief Communications Officer at Constellation, the nation's largest producer of clean energy.

Judy shares what it takes to lead a 60-person corporate affairs function at a Fortune 200 company, why she holds both the CCO and SVP of Corporate Affairs titles, and how her team secured and maintains its critical seat at the executive table.

For anyone aspiring to a leadership role in communications, this conversation is packed with actionable advice on building business acumen, developing your team, and proving your value as a strategic business advisor. In this podcast episode, Tara and Judy cover:

• The rise of the Corporate Affairs Officer
• What B2C Comms. can learn from B2B
• The model for Communications and Corporate Affairs at Constellation
• The team size, structure, reporting structure and approach to filling gaps needed in the team (hint: a review of the current structure and design is needed)
• The three critical skills required for a CCO (beyond knowing Comms).
• Training and development approaches for advancing comms. as advisors
• Navigating today's changing environment as a Communications and Corporate Affairs leader

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about working with Tara or sign up for her newsletter, Level Up: Be Extra.

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a program designed for women in communications in corporate, healthcare, and higher education—helping them advance their careers through mentorship, professional development, and community.

If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review—it helps elevate our field and ensures more communicators have a voice at the table.

Meet Judy Rader:

Judy Rader is the senior vice president of Corporate Affairs and chief communications officer, leading integrated marketing communications strategy, planning and execution for Constellation and managing the company's brand and reputation.

She serves on the Constellation Executive Committee, which sets strategy and direction for the company.

Rader's team of about 60 professionals has expertise across a wide range of corporate affairs disciplines, including:

• reputation and brand management, advertising, customer marketing, employee communications, media relations,
• public affairs and advocacy, issues/crisis management, digital/social media, community relations, charitable giving and
• foundation management. Under her leadership, the team is responsible for enhancing and protecting Constellation's
• reputation with all internal and external stakeholders, strengthening Constellation's brand awareness and favorability,
• fostering employee trust and engagement, and advancing the company's policy and business objectives through
• compelling communications, marketing and community support.

As part of her role, she oversees Constellation's philanthropic activities, including more than $18 million in annual company, employee and foundation giving and the volunteer efforts of the company's nearly 14,000 employees. She also serves as executive director of the Constellation Energy Foundation.

A Fortune 200 company based in Baltimore, Md., Constellation is the nation's largest producer of clean, emissions-free energy and a leading supplier of energy products and services. The publicly traded company produces about 10 percent of America's clean energy, making it a leader in the clean energy transition.

Community Work

Rader is a member of the Board of Directors and chair of the marketing committee for the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, and a member of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, PAC 7 Committee on Radiation Education, Risk Communication and Outreach.

Educational Background

Rader has a master's degree in integrated marketing communications from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. She earned bachelor's degrees in journalism and English from the University of Maryland.

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara kicks off a new season by tackling one of the most pressing questions for senior communications professionals: what does a clear career path look like in a field that often feels misunderstood, oversimplified, and muddy?

The Reality of Q4 for Comms Teams Tara opens with a candid look at the fall and winter season—when benefit enrollments, IT security pushes, engagement surveys, and town halls collide with corporate restructuring, financial reporting, and external events. It's a whirlwind that leaves communications leaders carrying the weight of competing priorities while fighting to remind colleagues of the real purpose of the function: advancing business goals and protecting company reputation. It can feel impossible to think of something as long-term as career path advocacy when it's so busy all the time.

Why Career Pathing Feels Elusive Communications pros - especially around that director level - often find themselves forging their own paths. Tara highlights the isolation many feel when they're the highest-level communicator in their organization, expected to act as both strategic advisor and often, execution arm too. She acknowledges the frustration of being underestimated, but reminds listeners that communicators consistently shine when given even a crack in the door to demonstrate their value.

The Path to the CCO (and Beyond) This season, Tara is launching a series of conversations with Chief Communications Officers and SVPs in our field across industries. They'll share the skills, experiences, and hard truths that shaped their journeys. Listeners will hear what it's like in the CCo seat, the skills required to get there, and help communicators chart a more visible career path in communications leadership … as we normalize the CCO position everywhere.

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about working with Tara or sign up for her newsletter, Level Up: Be Extra.

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a program designed for women in communications in corporate, healthcare, and higher education—helping them advance their careers through mentorship, professional development, and community.

Tara is hosting a Raise the Tide Open House on Sept 19. Click here to pre-register.

If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review—it helps elevate our field and ensures more communicators have a voice at the table.

Episode 29 of the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host, Tara McDonagh, dives into Raise the Tide™, a program for women leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field working in a corporate (or related) environment. Tara unpacks exactly what Raise the Tide™ is, why it was created, and how it works.

Raise the Tide™ is a complete program for women in the Communications field that involves community, coaching, mentorship, counsel, and professional development specifically for women in corporate communications roles. Unlike other programs,, Raise the Tide™is created specifically for women in this field working in corporate and does not seek to change women, but rather creates space for them to grow.

Built on Tara's vast experience in communications and her academic study of gender differences, this program is uniquely equipped to address the challenges and celebrate the strengths of women communicators.

Crew members are placed in small groups where they engage in monthly meetings, stay connected through active group messaging, and benefit from one-on-one coaching sessions for personalized goal setting and progress. From strategic mentorship matches to a curated retreat experience, Raise the Tide™ offers everything women need to advance their careers with confidence, clarity, and camaraderie.

Visit RaiseTheTide.com to learn more and fill out the interest form. Many participants get company sponsorships for the program while others invest in the program themselves. Both options can lead to a highly rewarding and in some cases "life changing" experience (as stated by some women).

If today's insights resonated with you, please rate and review this episode—it helps spread the message and supports the growth of our profession.

Welcome to Episode 28 of the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with Tara McDonagh. Today, Tara tackles a big question for communications leaders: how do you create a long-term plan in uncertain, volatile times like right now? She shares practical strategies to help Communications Leaders make it happen, even during chaos.

Start from the (Ever-Changing) Business Strategy

• Tara explains how to align communications plans with business plans even as they evolve to adjust to the current environment. She shares how to identify key business goals and develop or adapt long-term communications plans, using examples like shifting from international to domestic growth or a new focus on acquisitions vs organic growth.
• Start with what's certain—your organization's core product and/or service remains. The "what" remains consistent, it's "how" that may change. Tara discusses how to pivot in these wild times with specific examples.

From Overwhelm to Action

• Leading through uncertainty, balancing short-term demands (and commands), crisis issues and/or incident management, team management, and uphill advocacy are all massively taxing right now. Tara encourages leaders to seek help, whether through strategic planning partners, execution-focused support, or both.
• Instead of only considering the option of hiring extra hands, she highlights the value of working with experienced advisors who bring clarity and help implement impactful strategies as an option.
• Tara reframes seeking help as a smart investment in success. She urges Comms. leaders to rethink resourcing in alignment with today's new commands.

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a program for women in communications focused on mentorship and leadership growth.

For more insights, visit taramcdonagh.com/levelup to sign up for the Level Up: Be Extra newsletter. Don't forget to share this episode and leave a review—it helps spread the message and elevate the communications field. Until next time, keep advising, my friends!

Welcome to this week's episode of the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with Tara McDonagh. Today, Tara dives into one of the most critical challenges communication leaders face in uncertain times—advocating for more resources, influence, and investment when the natural reaction right now is to contract. If you've been questioning how to maintain your role as an advisor and resist slipping into order-taking in the face of budget cuts and chaos, this episode provides the insights and strategies you need to thrive.

Escaping the Scarcity Mindset

Tara invites listeners to reframe their thinking by stepping out of a scarcity mindset and moving toward abundance. Instead of retreating during times of uncertainty, she emphasizes the unique value that communications leaders bring—from managing reputations to creating calm within chaos. Tara highlights the critical role communications plays in business success, underscoring the function's ability to protect and advance company reputation when it matters most.

Making the Case for More

Tara provides actionable advice on how to position Corporate Communications as a necessary investment rather than an area for cuts. From reading the room strategically to building strong internal relationships, Tara gives listeners the tools to make a compelling business case for why their team deserves more resources—even in difficult financial climates. This is about leadership, courage, and stepping into your role as a true strategic advisor.

To take the next step, visit taramcdonagh.com/levelup to sign up for Tara's "Level Up: Be Extra" email series. This exclusive content dives deeper into the topics explored on the podcast and equips you with actionable insights for your career and team.

This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a program tailored to support women in communications, healthcare, and higher education on their path to leadership success.

If you found this episode valuable, please rate and review Communications Business Advisor™ to help spread the word and elevate the profession.

Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with Tara McDonagh. This week, Tara dives into a timely and scary issue—corporate communications is at risk of losing ground after years of progress. From earning a seat at the table to influencing decisions, these gains of being heard and respected are now under threat in today's economic and corporate environment. What can we do to maintain (and grow) in our gains, defend out space and NOT slip backwards? Listen in.

Risks Facing Communications Professionals Today

• Internal Communications at Risk: Respect for roles in internal, executive, and functional communications are at risk as leaders revert to pre-pandemic practices of making decisions then telling communicators to figure out how to message it rather than engaging us in the decisions and TRULY listening to our counsel.
• Return-to-Office Challenges: Tara explores how return-to-office mandates is a bellwether example of Comms professionals being sidelined as respected advisors and instead being treated as order-takers. Communicators then must handle the fallout amid unrealistic expectations of maintaining positive employee engagement scores while also delivering news that will most certainly negatively impact those scores.
• Economic Pressures: Threats (and realities) of tariffs, tight budgets, and scarcity all round in corporations makes it infinitely harder to advocate for resources or staff. Tara discusses how THIS is the new biggest challenge for Communicators throughout organizations everywhere - not what or how to communicate tough challenges, but to do it without being yes men or women and maintaining our influence and boundaries as respected advisors.

Strategic Advice for Communications Leaders

• Advocate, even when it's scary: Tara emphasizes advocating for yourself, your team, and the wider field, or risk losing self-respect and all the gained ground you've achieved for yourself, your team, and your field.
• Set the tone for your role: Teach senior leaders how to treat you AND what to expect from you - that you will call out risks even when it's unpopular and scary. It will bring you respect and showcase your leadership.
• Focus on Outcomes: Push for metrics tied to organizational goals. For example, if return-to-office policies aim to boost collaboration, ensure results are measured in relation to collaboration - not simply whether bodies show up in the office or retention numbers.
• Consider Corporate Comms. Consolidation: Crisis comms and incident preparedness is having a moment - out of necessity. If you don't already have a consolidated corp. comms. function with Internal Communications, Public Relations, Crisis Communications, Public Affairs, Event Planning, Executive Communications and business functional communications in the same area - now may be the ideal time to make the case to consolidate. It's not only good for the organization, but also good for the department because they can go in on it together. Together they can ensure that all who need to be engaged in decisions are weighing in. That there is a voice at the table in important discussions because the sum of the parts (or individual comms. functions) are looking at the whole … more on this soon.

If you've enjoyed the Communications Business Advisor Podcast™ so far, please take a moment to share this episode with someone, drop a rating, or leave a review. We can ignite a movement when we share the message.

Visit taramcdonagh.com to learn more about how to work with Tara. Or follow her content on LinkedIn at: Tara McDonagh, where she posts five days a week on comms.-focused topics.

The Communications Business Advisor Podcast™ is brought to you by Raise the Tide™, the unique coaching, community and professional development program that elevates corporate women communications leaders and emerging leaders in the communications field.