Episode 34: The Path to CCO+ with Bianca Olson
Episode 34: The Path to CCO+ with Bianca Olson 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 […]
Episode 33: The Path to CCO+ with Libby May
Episode 33: The Path to CCO+ with Libby May 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 […]
Episode 32: The Path to CCO+ with Stephanie Roberts
Episode 32: The Path to CCO+ with Stephanie Roberts 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 […]
Episode 31: The Path to CCO+ with Judy Rader
Episode 31: The Path to CCO+ with Judy Rader 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 […]
Episode 30: The Path to CCO+
Episode 30: The Path to CCO+ 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? […]
Episode 28: How Can You Even Plan Right Now?
Episode 28: How Can You Even Plan Right Now? 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 […]
Episode 27: More in a Time of Less
Episode 27: More in a Time of Less 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 […]
Episode 26: Risk Alert!: Our Field Could Slip Backwards
Episode 26: Risk Alert!: Our Field Could Slip Backwards 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 […]
Episode 22: Love (& Hate) for Communications
Episode 22: Love (& Hate) for Communications Welcome to Episode 22 of the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with your host, Tara McDonagh. This week, Tara explores the love and frustration many communications professionals feel for their field. She candidly discusses challenges like small teams, underfunded departments, and underappreciation, while also talking about the emotional highs […]
Episode 21: “How Important Is It?”
Episode 21: “How Important Is It?” Welcome back to the Communications Business Advisor Podcast! This episode dives into a fundamental question every communications leader should ask: “How Important Is It?” Tara McDonagh shares insights from a recent strategic planning session with a comms team, where the question revealed surprising opportunities for efficiency, clarity, and advocacy. If you’re […]