Jennifer Risi is the President and Founder of The Sway Effect, a newly formed consultancy that creates impactful campaigns that define markets, lead industries and aim to change the world. The Sway Effect works in partnership with an organization’s most senior leadership to drive global reputation, manage strategic media relations, develop crisis communications plans and enhance executive visibility. With a deep understanding of today’s complicated stakeholder landscape, The Sway Effect puts Diversity and Inclusion at the center of an organizations’ communications strategy.
Risi is a seasoned communications executive with more than 15 years of experience in international reputation, strategic global media relations, CEO positioning, and crisis communications. She is also an expert in nation branding – having led award-winning global campaigns for Mexico, Colombia, USA, and Indonesia. Her clients are CEOs and Heads of State the world over.
Risi is a champion for diversity – often writing and speaking on key issues as well as mentoring and sponsoring next-generation talent. She is also a member of the 4A’s Foundation Board and forged Ogilvy’s membership with the Unstereotype Alliance. She serves as an ongoing advisor to UN Women and UN Women Executive Director, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
Notably, during her career, Risi launched UN Women’s HeForShe campaign, managed Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Climate Summit for Local Leaders at COP21, and handled the Citizens Financial Group IPO.
Risi was recently inducted into the 2019 PRWeek Hall of Femme and has been named a PR News Top Women in PR for three years in a row. She has won multiple awards for her corporate reputation and nation branding campaigns from The Holmes Report, PRWeek and Cannes Lions. Risi also led a cross-agency team and was awarded the UN Foundation’s Global Leadership Award for Common Ground’s LXL campaign.
Risi lives in New York City and is an alumna of Barnard College, Columbia University.
