Practicing Cool Media Relations Under Crisis

As a 30 -year business communications veteran, Audra Hession leads the Reputation Management Consultancy at G&S Business Communications, which encompasses Corporate Character; Crisis & Issues Management; Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG); and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) services. Serving as a strategic advisor and expert media and messaging trainer to the C-suite, Hession helps clients navigate mergers and acquisitions, IPOs and spin-offs, as well as a broad range of business transformation and crisis scenarios. She has counseled countless Fortune 500 firms, non-profits and other organizations across a multitude of business sectors and developed proprietary tools that help companies map their engagement strategy with societal and other business issues.

Kaelan Hollon is the senior director of communications at Reynolds American and is their media spokesperson. Additionally, Kaelan leads all public affairs and digital advocacy capabilities supporting Reynold’s policy objectives at the federal, state and local levels. With more than 16 years of experience in corporate communications for highly-regulated industries, Hollon has led multiple Fortune 500 companies’ work in global media relations, litigation and crisis communications, regulatory (FDA) communications, and public affairs support. Currently she leads external communications and media relations for Reynolds American,  Her prior work includes roles at Teva Pharmaceuticals,  the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association. She holds an undergraduate degree from Eastern Kentucky University and is a graduate of the University of Kentucky Law School, and currently splits time between Washington, DC and North Carolina.

Spring Harris is the Head of Global Corporate Communications and Public Relations at NortonLifeLock, where she is responsible for the company’s corporate, employee, crisis and consumer communications, technical innovation and thought leadership efforts. Harris is an experienced storyteller and communicator with nearly 15 years of experience working with industry-leading brands. Before joining NortonLifeLock in 2015, Harris worked at Edelman where she managed corporate communications, issues and crisis management, media relations and events for companies across the healthcare, technology and energy sectors. Prior to Edelman, Ms. Harris worked at Weber Shandwick where she developed and implemented digital, consumer and issues-based campaigns for Fortune 500 clients, including Bank of America, General Motors Company, Mattel and Unilever.