In high-stakes business situations, whether a restructuring, crisis, or major transaction, clear, consistent communication can make or break trust. On PR’s Top Pros Talk, Doug Simon, CEO of D S Simon Media, spoke with Jon Henes, Founder & CEO of C Street Advisory Group, about why communication must be seen as “the connective tissue of it all.”
Jon’s career path from law to politics to founding his own firm shaped his belief that communications should be fully integrated into decision-making. “I found myself doing a lot of that, and I thought there was a void in the market to be able to step in,” he recalled of his time as a restructuring lawyer, when he often bridged gaps between legal, financial, and communications teams.
At C Street, alignment begins with collaboration. “We need to get a huge download. Tell us about the company. Tell us what’s going on, why we’re here, what you need help on,” Jon explained. From there, the process becomes iterative, with every advisor part of building a unified message. “Once you start building that relationship and everybody sees that you’re being collaborative. I find it very easy to have everybody working together.”
He stressed that consistent communication can’t stop with the C-suite. “The CEO or the management team itself needs to be communicating directly to its employees. In today’s world, usually that’s through some sort of town hall.” To reinforce those efforts, his team equips frontline staff with training and tools. “Even if that’s an apology or there was a mistake, owning up to it. It’s all about authenticity.”
That lesson also carried over from his work in politics. Reflecting on his time with Kamala Harris’s 2020 campaign, Jon said: “It was this incredible speech. It was authentic. It was strong. I do take that into the business world because it is the same thing.”
Recent events underscored for him that values must guide messaging. After a tragic shooting occurred near his company’s new office, he told staff: “If you’re not comfortable, go work remotely. The safety of our employees and the comfort of our employees is the most important thing.”
As the media landscape shifts at breakneck speed, Jon’s message to leaders is clear: “Communication, and being strategic and tactical, underlies everything.”
View all of the interviews in the “PR's Top Pros Talk” series. Interested in taking part? Contact Doug Simon at [email protected].
***
Suchi Sherpa is a Marketing Communications Specialist at D S Simon Media, a leading firm specializing in satellite media tours.
Established through a founding gift from 2025 Page Hall of Fame inductee and former Weber Shandwick Global CEO Andy Polansky, the fund is meant to serve as a catalyst for empowering future senior communications leaders as well as increasing the diversity in the chief communications officer pipeline.
Some well-honed communications strategies typically deployed in an activist situation must be set aside when the activist is also the founder of the company. Such situations require a more tailored response: one that respects the founder’s credibility without conceding the company’s future, addresses shareholders’ financial interests while acknowledging questions of legacy, and anticipates that the fight may be as personal and persistent as it is strategic.
Molly Fogarty, who rose to head of corporate affairs & sustainability at Nestle during a nearly 23-year stint, will join Brunswick Group as a partner in DC on Sept. 14.
Senior leaders have been exiting newly combined agencies since the wave of integrations started—the kind of departures that don't always make headlines but show up in who's running client accounts six months later.
Why CEO visibility is no longer optional as a communications tactic.
