VP, Americas Corporate Communications

Cushman & Wakefield • Chicago, IL

2d

About The Position

Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) is a leading global commercial real estate services firm for property owners and occupiers with approximately 52,000 employees in nearly 400 offices and 60 countries. In 2024, the firm reported revenue of $9.4 billion across its core service lines of Services, Leasing, Capital markets, and Valuation and other. Built around the belief that Better never settles, the firm receives numerous industry and business accolades for its award-winning culture. The Vice President, Americas Corporate Communications will report to the Chief Marketing Officer and will lead Cushman & Wakefield’s communication strategy across the Americas region. This individual will be responsible for protecting, promoting and evolving Cushman & Wakefield’s reputation in the region, managing high value media relationships and strengthening relationships with clients, investors, employees and other key audiences. This role requires strategic vision, exceptional leadership, and the ability to influence across a matrixed organization.

Requirements

• 15+ years of experience in PR and communications with a minimum of 5 years in progressive leadership roles
• Commercial real estate industry experience or strong understanding of the industry required
• Extensive experience with media relations, deep understanding of how to secure positive media coverage and brand mentions
• Experience in reputation management and crisis communications
• Strong network of industry reporters, influencers and other communication professionals in relevant areas
• Exceptional writing skills
• Detail oriented and deadline driven
• Strong business acumen
• Proficiency in managing budgets, analysing performance metrics and optimizing resources to maximize earned media ROI

Nice To Haves

• Master’s or MBA preferred

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on communications, reputation management, and crisis response.
• Demonstrate a strong point of view on how the company can use communications to move the needle on business objectives and brand positioning.
• Act as a key external ambassador for the company in conversations with journalists, influencers, partners, and broader industry audiences.
• Develop and lead execution of comprehensive, omnichannel corporate communications campaigns.
• Oversee media relations, thought leadership, and public relations initiatives to enhance visibility and credibility.
• Manage relationships with key journalists and industry influencers; ensure proactive and reactive messaging is consistent and timely.
• Identify and capitalize on opportunities for thought leadership and expert commentary to position the Company as expert advisors.
• Develop and deliver a media training program.
• Manage the tracking and reporting of relevant media coverage and social conversation.
• Mitigate risks and proactively influence positioning on external affairs in partnership with the firm’s legal function.
• Partner with adjacent teams like investor relations, social media, digital marketing and legal to develop and execute holistic communications strategies.
• Direct corporate response during crises, developing holistic strategies for protecting the Company’s reputation and ensuring cross-functional alignment across internal leaders and stakeholders.
• Maintain and refine crisis communications response protocols and ensure integration with enterprise-wide risk management strategies.
• Advise the organization’s senior leadership on emerging threats, providing strategic guidance and risk mitigation plans.
• Mentor and develop a high-performing team, fostering collaboration with cross-functional teams and external partners to integrate communication strategies into broader marketing initiatives.
• Champion innovation in communication channels and storytelling, reporting on key performance indicators and identifying areas for talent development.
• Manage agency partnerships to support the communication strategy.

Benefits

• Cushman & Wakefield also provides eligible employees with an opportunity to enroll in a variety of benefit programs, generally including health, vision, and dental insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life, and disability insurance programs, and paid and unpaid time away from work.
• In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, Cushman and Wakefield provide eligible employees with competitive pay, which may vary depending on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, total hours worked, job type, business line, and applicability of collective bargaining agreements.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level