The future of the PR pro: How to succeed in an era of misinformation and distrust

Diane Schwartz is the chief executive officer of Ragan Communications, a leading media company that serves communicators worldwide with education, networking and unparalleled event experiences. She joined Ragan in May 2019 after serving for 23 years at Access Intelligence, where she was senior vice president of the media communications division and oversaw the growth of brands including PR News, Social Shake-Up, Cynopsis, AdExchanger, Admonsters and many others. Schwartz launched more than 75 conferences, training programs, awards competitions and subscription products that put customer and premium content front and center. A former journalist, Schwartz also serves on the boards of the Institute for Public Relations and the Alliance for Women in Media, as well as volunteers in her local community in Connecticut and for Make a Wish, where she is a wish granter.

Jill Davison is vice president of corporate communications at Meredith Corporation (previously Time Inc.), the number one media and marketing company that reaches 175 million American consumers every month, including 80 percent of U.S. millennial women. Davison collaborates across the company’s business functions, including its executive leadership team, to craft the company’s narrative and manage the communications risks and opportunities of the business. A seasoned corporate communications and brand marketing executive with more than two decades of experience in the media landscape, Jill joined Time Inc. in 2013 and played a key communications role promoting the company’s various newsworthy initiatives, including its M&A activities, such as its recent divestitures of Time Inc. UK, Essence, Golf and Sunset, as well as its recent historic acquisition by the Meredith Corporation. Prior to joining Time Inc., Davison was vice president of Corporate Communications of American Express Publishing, which was a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Express Company, for nine years. Earlier, she worked in both corporate and brand communications for Hachette Filipacchi Media US, Hearst Magazines and the international public relations agency Edelman Worldwide.