Jennifer Sosin, Chair, Global Strategy & Insights, Weber Shandwick
With her preternatural sense of the forces that influence how clients think and how stakeholders react, you might say that Jennifer Sosin is the Yoda of research and PR. Unlike Yoda, however, Sosin is able to articulate strategic direction in a clear, concise manner that few can match.
No matter how complex the situation, Sosin can break it down into terms so simple and easily understood, it makes you wonder why it seemed so thorny and opaque in the first place. She has the unique ability to put clients at ease, gain their trust, and provide smart, actionable recommendations.
Over recent years, Sosin has worked with clients across multiple industries, including health and life sciences, energy, consumer goods, education, nonprofits and foundations. She has also worked closely with hundreds of Weber Shandwick and KRC professionals.
For global nonprofit organizations, developing a clear brand narrative can be challenging. They work in very crowded spaces, with intense competition for funds, attention and support; their missions are often broad and multifaceted, making it difficult to build consensus around the kind of narrative likely to build a distinct, effective positioning.
In the last 12 months, Sosin has demonstrated her skill in overcoming these daunting obstacles with three different NGOs. In each case, her role was to review the research and, through a combination of coaching, persuasion and conversation, help the teams arrive at a brand name and supporting messages.
Her guiding hand played an enormous role in accomplishing these goals for the financial services team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For the World Bank, she was instrumental in delivering a creative platform and supporting narrative. She led the World Food Programme in formulating clear positioning and operational priorities. Her sharp strategic insights and ability to communicate clearly are hallmarks of Sosin’s record of success with clients.