MAM
Burson’s global chief communications officer Catherine Sullivan exits after 12 years
The strategic communications veteran shepherded three global CEOs, two mergers and countless crises before closing the chapter on a career-defining run
NEW YORK: Catherine Sullivan, global chief communications officer at Burson, has left the agency after 12 years, closing out one of the longer and more eventful tenures in the communications industry. Sullivan, who joined Burson-Marsteller in March 2014 as managing director of worldwide communications, rose through successive iterations of the organisation, from Burson-Marsteller to BCW Global to Burson, accumulating responsibilities and seniority at each turn.
In a LinkedIn post marking her departure, Sullivan was characteristically measured about the details but expansive about the scope. “It started on day three when an epic media situation landed in my inbox,” she wrote. “I was off to the races.” She declined to elaborate on the specifics, adding with dry precision: “I can’t tell you what they were, though, then I wouldn’t have done my job to manage them.”
The breadth of what she did manage was considerable. Over 12 years, Sullivan drove agency narrative, executive communications and reputation management across three global CEO transitions and several American ones, two mergers, an acquisition, new offering launches, annual industry reporting, employee engagement and awards. She also oversaw global quality control, reviewing and approving all external content produced by the agency worldwide, and drove a 30 per cent year-on-year increase in awards wins in 2015 over 2014. She spoke on a panel at the Palais at Cannes and served as global spokeswoman through numerous high-stakes media engagements tied to high-profile global controversies.
Among the quieter distinctions of her tenure was her relationship with Harold Burson, the agency’s legendary founder. “I had the great good fortune to get to know Harold Burson during my tenure,” she wrote, “and it was my honour to shepherd his final news story to the media.”
Before Burson-Marsteller, Sullivan served as director of communications at Porter Novelli from August 2009 to February 2014, where she revamped the agency’s intranet, developed its website editorial framework and led its North American awards programme. Prior to that, she was vice president and editorial director at MSLGROUP from December 2006 to June 2009, carrying editorial responsibility across the agency’s consumer, corporate and healthcare practices and serving as chief copy editor across new business presentations and high-level client communications.
Sullivan describes herself as a strategic communications executive and trusted chief executive adviser who specialises in corporate narrative development, executive communications, high-stakes media, issues mitigation and reputation management. She is pointed about her approach: no jargon, no buzzwords, no corporate speak.
As for what comes next, she offered little beyond direction. “I will look forward to my next chapter in the crucial and, frankly, fascinating world of strategic communications,” she wrote.
Twelve years. Three agency names. Three global CEOs. Countless crises, none of which she will ever discuss. Whoever hires her next will be getting someone who knows exactly where the bodies are buried and has the discipline never to say so.
