148: What a Firmwide External Communications Leader Does at PwC w/ Beth Parker, PricewaterhouseCoopers [Main T4C episode]

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Beth Parker is the Firmwide External Communications Leader at PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) where she is responsible for guiding the firm’s strategic communications, social media and storytelling on all matters related to talent and benefits for the firm’s 47,000 U.S. employees. PwC is one of the leading professional services networks in the world helping organizations and individuals create the value they’re looking for by delivering quality in assurance, tax and advisory services. PwC is also widely recognized for its innovation in benefits, leadership development and flexibility. Just weeks after arriving at PwC, Beth co-led the external launch of the company’s groundbreaking PwC Student Loan Paydown, a benefit in which the firm helps pay down employees’ student debt. It was the most successful public relations campaign in the firm’s history.  From 1998-2015, Beth was a news reporter for WTTG-TV local news in Washington, D.C., where she received 9 Emmy Awards and 3 Edward R. Murrow awards for her  reporting. Beth graduated from Ithaca College with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in political science. She is also a graduate of the inaugural Stanford University LGBTQ Executive Leadership program run by Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. She co-chairs Georgetown Day’s LGBTQ Parents Affinity Group and sits on the nominating committee for the Board of Trustees. She also volunteers for the Williams Institute, the civil rights arm of the UCLA Law School.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE:

• What a Firmwide External Communications Leader does at PwC
• Why PwC lets some employees work remotely from home every day
• Why data science is a great skill to have — even in communications
• How a great way to break into PwC is through internships
• What it’s like to work in a ‘coaching’ atmosphere
• Why you should ask your friends to introduce you to strangers who they think are smart and interesting
• Why being inclusive and supportive of the sexual/racial/gender diversity of your co-workers is valuable both in and out of the office
• Why you should explore Stanford University LGBTQ Executive Leadership program run by Stanford’s Graduate School of Business
• How to pivot from journalism into the world of communications