The Heidrick & Struggles Leadership Podcast

In this next episode of The Heidrick & Struggles Leadership Podcast, Heidrick & Struggles’ Ina Sood speaks to Maggie FitzPatrick, the founder of FitzPatrick & Co and former global chief communications officer and head of public affairs at Johnson & Johnson. FitzPatrick discusses how she has seen the chief communications officer role evolve, particularly given the higher societal expectations for corporations to take a stand on public issues in recent years as well as the growing range of contentious social and geopolitical issues. She shares the leadership capabilities that have been most important to her success navigating these complexities, highlighting the importance of being able to influence others and create followership. She also discusses the blurring of the lines between leadership roles in the communications, marketing, and digital functions, the benefits of having someone on a company board with a communications background, and what skill sets communications leaders should focus on if they are looking to join a board in the future.