Ragan Center for AI Strategy

Jonny Bentwood is the Global President of data and analytics, and executive board member at Golin, where he has helped pioneer the agency’s transformation into the industry’s first fully AI-integrated global PR firm. A co-author of a book on AI in PR and frequent keynote speaker on the topic, Jonny has helped establish how brands can achieve visibility within GenAI search and has codified AI solutions throughout the data analytics practice to revolutionize insight and measurement for global clients. 

As part of Jonny’s role, 80% of Golin’s workforce now regularly uses AI tools to enhance their work. He has evolved measurement approaches from descriptive to prescriptive to predictive analytics, leveraging AI to deliver data-driven strategies for clients including PepsiCo, Walmart, McDonald’s, Microsoft, and the World Economic Forum. His innovative work combining art with science has earned Gold Cannes Lions for Creative Effectiveness, six consecutive AMEC Large Research and Measurement Team of the Year awards, and recognition as 2019 PRovoke EMEA Innovator of the Year. 

A champion of using data to deliver focus through the customer journey, Jonny has created award-winning analytic and measurement tools including the First Answer, CEO Impact Index, Relevance Radar, and Customer Journey Modelling. His innovations have been featured on CNN, Sky News, the New York Times and the BBC, with his MTV campaign being named Time’s top Twitter moment of the year. 

Jonny believes that when data-driven insights guide decisions rather than instinct alone, brands create winning programs. He regularly shares his expertise at institutions including the Royal Society, Stanford University, Oxford University, and Social Media Week, helping shape the future of AI-powered PR measurement and strategy. 

Based in London, Jonny continues to push boundaries in how AI transforms public relations effectiveness and accountability. 

Ryan is co-founder of AI media company, Moon Howl Media. He previously led Meta’s Generative AI privacy public affairs work. He is also a veteran of Google where he managed communications for Google News and other strategically important consumer products. As Senior Vice President at award winning consulting firm, FleishmanHillard, his clients included Amazon Alexa, Salesforce, SAP, and TCS. Brack additionally held key technology positions within the administrations of NYC Mayors’ Bloomberg and de Blasio including co-founding the NYC Mayor’s Office of Tech and Innovation.

Brack is a winner of a Shorty Award for the Best Use of Social Media for News. He believes that the defining challenge of our time is navigating the symbiotic and now inextricable relationship between biology and technology. He is a native New Mexican and a graduate of NYU and MIT.

Brian Buchwald is a creative, high-energy leader with a strong background in business intelligence, data analytics, large-scale global operations and accelerating joint ventures within B2B and consumer markets. 

He leads Edelman’s global product, data and Al strategy, where he drives the firm’s Al strategic planning, core capability and product development and agency enablement to deliver best-in-class Al solutions. He oversees Edelman’s team of data scientists, engineers and product developers in the creation of Trust Stream, the world’s first Al-powered trust intelligence platform. 

Brian joined Edelman from Talkwalker Inc., a strategic Edelman partner ranked as a leader in Forrester’s current Al Enabled Consumer Intelligence Wave and Gartner’s Social Analytics Magic Quadrant. There, he served as the Chief Strategy & Business Development Officer, evolving the company into a leading multi-channel consumer intelligence business. 

Prior to Talkwalker, Brian was President of Global Intelligence and part of the executive leadership team at Weber Shandwick and was the cofounder and CEO of BOMODA, a market­ leading big data business intelligence provider based in New York and Shanghai offering access to and understanding of China’s evolving consumer marketplace. Previously, Brian held various positions in media and ad-tech. He was a co-founder of Hulu and a senior executive at NBC Universal and DoubleClick. 

His expertise has resulted in being quoted in publications including the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and Business Insider, among many others. He has served as a frequent guest on CNBC and Bloomberg News to discuss the intersection of Al and consumer understanding. 

Alex Sévigny, PhD, APR, FCPRS, is a tenured associate professor of communications management at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He teaches in the internationally recognized McMaster University Master of Communications Management, an executive education degree that offers the core courses of the MBA complemented by cutting-edge knowledge of strategic communications.  

Alex is an expert on AI, digital strategy, and data science for communicators and marketers – he has worked as a trainer and consultant with global corporations, governments, political staff, and not-for-profits in Canada and around the world. He has a forthcoming book on how communications management is being transformed by artificial intelligence, digital media, and data science. 

Anika Gakovic serves as Chief People and Culture Strategist for AI adoption consulting company Phyusion. She is a coach and business psychologist who helps leaders and their teams to advance strategic goals and better serve their customers by facilitating actionable problem-solving as well as delivering learning and change solutions that create impact based on client priorities. She is highly regarded for her ability to build long-term relationships, navigate stakeholder complexity, and adapt to ambiguity. She focuses on coaching leaders for peak performance and career growth, aligning teams for collaboration and impact, driving change and innovation.  Anika’s whole-person approach helps pressured leaders to think, plan and execute strategically, resulting in higher confidence, clearer decision-making, and increased alignment to reach shared outcomes. 

Anika has twenty years of corporate experience in advancing skills and creating transformational change in high-performing enterprises. As Director of Learning at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, she enabled the people side of digital transformation for the organization and modernized the learning strategy. As Executive Director for Leadership Edge at JP Morgan Chase, Anika designed and executed global management programs to shape culture, drive engagement, and adopt technology. In her roles as Head of Organizational Effectiveness for OppenheimerFunds and Talent Executive at New York Life Insurance Company, she coached executive leaders and high potential employees, enabled salesforce transformation, and facilitated senior team offsites to drive strategic enablement. Earlier in her career, Anika created and implemented professional development, employee engagement and change solutions as talent program manager at HSBC Private Bank and UBS Wealth Management.  

Chris Gee is a trusted advisor to senior communications leaders navigating the intersection of artificial intelligence, brand reputation, and digital strategy. As the founder of Chris Gee Consulting, he partners with global brands and agencies to future-proof their communications functions through AI education, strategic advisory, and hands-on implementation.  

A recognized LinkedIn Top Voice, Chris is known for translating complex AI concepts into actionable strategies for Chief Communications Officers, Chief Marketing Officers, and agency executives. He regularly leads workshops on AI fluency and innovation for clients including Fortune 500 companies, media organizations, and forward-thinking PR firms.  

Chris has recently delivered high-impact sessions at major industry events, including the Ragan Communications AI Horizons Conference, P World’s AI in PR Summit, and the RALLY Innovation Conference. He’s also spoken on panels hosted by the American Association of Publishers, ColorComm, Social Media Week NYC, and General Assembly.  

With more than 15 years of experience leading digital practices at top firms like Edelman, Finsbury, Teneo, and Burson-Marsteller, Chris brings deep expertise in integrated communications, executive visibility, and digital transformation. His approach combines real-world communications experience with emerging AI capabilities — from media monitoring and content creation to AI-enhanced research and reputation management.  

He is also the co-host of The Intelligent Communicator Podcast, where he explores how AI is reshaping the future of PR, publishing, and public affairs.  

Chris’s mission is simple: help leaders harness the power of AI without losing the human touch. Whether advising on strategy, training teams, or speaking on stage, Chris brings clarity, candor, and a passion for helping others lead in an age of disruption. 

Paul J. Gennaro is senior vice president and chief communications officer (CCO) for New York Life, where he leads the Corporate Communications team for the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States and one of the largest life insurers in the world.  New York Life is a Fortune 100 company with $63 billion in annual revenue and $808 billion in assets under management.  

Prior to joining New York Life in September 2023, Paul spent nine years as senior vice president, and chief brand and communications officer, for Voya Financial.  His corporate career also includes leadership roles with AECOM, where he served as senior vice president and CCO; Johns Manville, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, where he led all global corporate and marketing communications; Ingersoll-Rand; Dell; and American Express.  Paul began his career as a journalist and public affairs officer in the U.S. Navy.  

Twenty-two of Paul’s 31-year corporate career have been in the top communications role. He has led multiple global rebrands and communications for more than 50 M&A-related transactions, an award-winning IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, multiple seamless CEO transitions, new business launches, and numerous business integrations. His work advancing AI domain reinvention for the New York Life Corporate Communications team has led to invitations to speak at events such as the Ragan AI Horizons annual conference, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) AI+HI Project annual conference, and the Gravity Research Annual Summit.   

Paul has been honored with PRWeek’s PR Professional of the Year award; the John W. Hill Award – the Public Relations Society of America New York chapter’s most prestigious honor; and the International Business Award for Communications Executive of the Year.  

Paul serves as treasurer on the board of directors for Disability:IN, a global nonprofit that advances disability inclusion in the workplace, supply chain, and marketplace.

Paavana Kumar helps major advertisers, retailers, e-commerce companies and agencies navigate the rapidly evolving intersection of advertising law, consumer protection, and emerging technologies. A trusted advisor to brands pushing creative and technological boundaries, Paavana focuses on the legal and ethical implications of integrating generative AI and agentic AI tools into e-commerce, retail, and marketing content and solutions. She guides clients in responsibly deploying these tools while managing regulatory, reputational, and consumer trust risks. 

She regularly counsels advertising agencies and brands on how to leverage AI to drive innovation in social commerce, influencer collaborations, dynamic pricing, and personalized customer experiences. She helps clients proactively address compliance challenges, including transparency, algorithmic bias, disclosure obligations, and the responsible use of consumer data in AI-powered environments. Her work is grounded in practical, business-focused advice that enables companies to experiment and grow, while staying ahead of regulatory scrutiny. 

In addition to her AI work, Paavana is a recognized authority on subscription programs and the automatic renewal and negative option laws in all 50 states. Her deep understanding of these regulations, coupled with her expertise in mitigating “dark pattern” risks, make her a key partner for brands designing seamless, legally sound customer journeys. She also regularly advises on comparative and discount pricing practices, tariffs and surcharges, influencer marketing, sweepstakes and promotions, loyalty programs, cause marketing, text and email campaigns, and high-profile entertainment and sports partnerships.  

Paavana’s clients span nearly every industry, including fashion, beauty, food and beverage, entertainment streaming, and technology/software. Whether counseling on discrete issues or leading complex, cross-border initiatives, she is known for her ability to quickly spot risks and deliver actionable, clear guidance to C-suite leaders and in-house counsel. A frequent speaker and writer, Paavana is a thought leader on the legal and ethical considerations of AI and social media-powered marketing, and she is passionate about helping companies at all stages of growth innovate responsibly.  

Michael Lamp is a dynamic digital leader with over 15 years of experience in public relations and digital marketing. Currently serving as Chief Digital Officer at HUNTER, he has successfully scaled a team from one to over 60 social/digital specialists across agency business units.

Coupling his enthusiasm for social media with a commitment to innovation and audience engagement, Michael excels at elevating PR programs with complementary digital strategies engineered to earn attention across every conceivable channel. Michael’s approach emphasizes understanding audience behavior and what’s motivating users to click, building frameworks to anticipate their needs. He is known for his expertise in social strategy, emerging tech, and brand narrative development.

Michael regularly writes and leads staff and client trainings, most recently building a five-part Get Smart series on emerging tech to know – now – and covering topics like Substack and Creator-based Journalism, Reddit as Discovery Engine & Discussion Forum and Future-Proofing PR via LLMs and Generative Engine Optimization. He has led AI/GEO trainings for many companies, including Amazon, Kenvue, Intuit and Danone.

Some of Michael’s career highlights include spearheading several certifiably viral moments over the years, including a 2009 open letter penned by Grey Poupon (Kraft Foods) to then-President Barack Obama; actor Nick Offerman’s celebrated “Yule Log” and My Tales of Whisky video series for Lagavulin (Diageo); and the TABASCO #hotsaucewars of 2021, lighting up TikTok and growing TABASCO’s six-figure following on the platform with no paid media support. Michael has been recognized as one of PRWeek’s 40 Under 40 and PRSA-NY’s 15 Under 35.

Sofia Mata-Leclerc, Head of Technology Communications, leads external, internal, and executive communications globally for GE HealthCare’s Science & Technology organization, which is responsible for setting the company’s AI, cloud, and software strategy and R&D efforts.

Her team works across the organization to execute multi-channel communications that showcase how our technology and initiatives are making care better and more accessible.

She previously led teams at Amazon, Brunswick Group, Visa Inc., and crisis advisory firm Kekst CNC.

Sofia holds a B.A. in the History of Science from Princeton University.

Stephanie Nivinskus is Principal of the Center for AI Strategy at Ragan Communications and Founder of SizzleForce Marketing, where she helps organizations design AI-powered marketing departments. In her role at Ragan, Stephanie leads the AI Center’s programming, research initiatives, and advisor collaboration, helping communications leaders understand how to adopt AI across their organizations. She oversees the Center’s thought leadership, member programming, and strategic initiatives that support governed AI implementation.

Over the past three decades, Stephanie has led marketing and communications initiatives for global brands across multiple industries. Through Ragan programs, she has trained communications and marketing leaders from some of the world’s most recognized organizations on how to apply AI within their teams.

Stephanie is the author of the best-selling books Sizzle or Fizzle: How to Use AI to Build Your Personal Brand, Grow Influence, and Become the Go-To Authority in Your Industry and Absolutely Unforgettable: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Creating a Heart-Centered Brand That Stands Out in a Noisy World. Visit SizzleForce.com or Ragan.com to learn more.

Meiko Patton is a recognized public sector expert helping government leaders navigate AI with clarity amid rapid technological change. As the founder of Meiko.AI and the creator of “Ms. Beehiiv,” she helps senior federal executives’ future-proof their agencies by embracing AI-powered communication, succession planning, and institutional resilience.  

With more than 30 years of corporate communications experience—spanning media relations, executive messaging, and internal engagement—Meiko understands the high-stakes challenges federal leaders face. She now brings that expertise to the AI frontier, positioning herself as a strategic bridge between legacy knowledge and the next era of public service innovation.  

Meiko’s unique specialty lies in AI legacy and succession planning, a transformative approach to preserving executive insight and leadership continuity. She helps senior leaders capture their institutional knowledge, codify their decision-making processes, and train their teams using tailored AI assistants that reflect their values, voice, and strategic thinking. By translating years of experience into actionable, searchable AI tools, Meiko empowers organizations to thrive even as leadership changes. Her flagship product, the AI Legacy Boardroom™, has earned praise for turning static playbooks into dynamic, interactive tools that preserve decision-making frameworks for years to come.  

Through her Ms. Beehiiv AI Fed Newsletter, curated tools, and immersive executive workshops, Meiko demystifies AI adoption for displaced feds as well as senior federal staff. She helps leaders shift from AI fear to AI fluency—turning automation into an asset and data into strategic vision.  

Meiko’s insights and impact have been featured in Huffington Post, Business Insider, Entrepreneur, FedSmith, Postal Posts, Careers in Government, HackerNoon, and more. Her work is known for its clarity, cultural relevance, and practical approach to making AI accessible without hype. Whether she’s educating federal workers on navigating RIFs, creating tools to support digital transformation, or inspiring the next generation of government leaders to embrace AI with confidence, Meiko is a powerful voice guiding the conversation around ethical and effective AI adoption in the public sector.  

Brian Pittman is a manager of strategic programming at Ragan Communications and the dean of Ragan Training. He’s also a regular contributor to PR Daily, where he interviews industry leaders to help readers improve their careers as communicators. A seasoned journalist and publisher, he’s the former editorial director for Bulldog Reporter, CommPRO.biz and Utah Business Magazine, among others. He’s also a digital marketer and content strategist with LA-area agencies, as well as an executive producer on multiple films and documentaries.

Catherine’s guidance delivers the clarity, urgency, and confidence today’s leaders need to act decisively in a world that will not wait. She is a strategist and speaker recognized as the AI Truth Teller and serves as Ragan’s Executive AI Coach and co-founder of Expera Consulting, helping Fortune 500 organizations in regulated industries adopt AI with confidence. 

Her career includes senior roles at Adobe, VMware, and Dell Technologies, where she led content strategy for Adobe Creative Cloud and VMware’s $1B security technology portfolio, directed GDPR go-to-market messaging across Dell’s global brands, and helped establish one of the world’s first enterprise-scale AI Councils, which upskilled a global team in under six months and earned industry recognition. 

She is the creator of Original Intelligence™, a framework that re-centers human discernment in the AI era, helping organizations leverage creative judgment and disciplined risk management as a competitive edge. 

As a privacy and cybersecurity attorney at McDermott, Will & Schulte, Katelyn Ringrose regularly advises clients on the complex legal and ethical considerations surrounding AI development and deployment. This includes ensuring compliance with evolving state and federal privacy legislation, responsibly handling sensitive personal data within AI systems, and establishing appropriate safeguards for cross-border data transfers. Her expertise in AI’s responsible development was informed by her position as Google’s Global Policy Lead for Law Enforcement and Government Access, where she played a role in testing Google’s Gemini before its public launch.  

Katelyn’s clients include some of the world’s largest global corporations, from manufacturing to social media, and her experience spans across multiple jurisdictions. She specializes in working with product and legal teams to develop risk mitigation efforts tailored to the unique needs and global operations of each organization. She also provides critical support during data breaches and other security incidents, including AI-fueled attacks, helping companies navigate complex legal and reputational challenges.  

Prior to her stints at McDermott, Will & Schulte and Google, Katelyn worked as a Future of Privacy Forum Legal Fellow in Washington, DC, focusing on issues concerning emerging technology. You can find her law reviews and articles in the Berkeley Tech Law Journal, Berkeley Law Review, Denver Law Review, Notre Dame Journal of Emerging Technology, Notre Dame Law Review, and more. Katelyn holds CIPM, CIPP/EU, and CIPP/US certifications through the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) and was recognized as a 2025 IAPP Privacy Leader.  

Miri Rodriguez is the Founder and CEO of Empressa.ai, a groundbreaking AI company that’s reshaping the future of work for women. An accomplished author, Rodriguez’s seminal work, “Brand Storytelling,” has been translated into four languages and earned numerous awards and prestigious nominations.

With more than two decades of experience at the intersection of digital transformation, advanced technologies, and strategic storytelling, Brian helps global organizations turn complexity into clarity and narrative into competitive advantage.  

 Brian has led high-impact campaigns and developed communications strategies for some of the world’s most influential brands, including AMD, Dell, Google, YouTube, Nintendo, McDonald’s, LinkedIn, Adobe, and Walmart. His work comprises product, platform, policy, and reputation, shaping how innovation is understood, trusted, and adopted.  

Brian leads the agency’s global innovation agenda, building new tools, systems, and omnichannel strategies rooted in AI, agentic workflows, and earned-first communications. His team is redefining what it means to communicate in the AI era by delivering AI for communicators, helping colleagues and clients use AI as a collaborator and amplifier, and supporting tech leaders with strategic storytelling and brand stewardship. 

Brian follows AI research and model development in real time, experiments daily with emerging tools and frameworks, and helps clients find narrative whitespace across social media and the global press. 

Previously, Brian led digital practices at Golin and spearheaded Whirlpool Corporation’s global digital transformation. He lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.  

Samantha Stark brings more than 25 years of industry experience to her role as Founder and Chief Strategist of Phyusion, a strategic consulting agency that transforms how communications and marketing teams operate in the generative AI era. Through strategic consulting and hands-on implementation, Phyusion helps enterprise teams harness AI to create more personal, impactful communications that drive business results for a diverse set of clients such as New York Life Insurance, Outdoorsy, Cote, and Citizens.  

Sam’s career trajectory demonstrates a consistent ability to anticipate and leverage emerging technology trends. Prior to founding Phyusion, she was a key member of the Executive Leadership Team at Endeavor’s 160over90, where she managed Creator Marketing, Digital, Public Relations, Social Media, Entertainment Marketing, and Experiential teams across the United States, EMEA, and APAC regions. At Ketchum, she was part of the Technology Sector Leadership Team and played a pivotal role in cross-agency innovation initiatives. Her work with the IBM account, focusing on Cloud, Citizenship, and Global Business Solutions, sparked her deep fascination with AI’s potential in communications. She has led integrated communications work for iconic companies such as Coca-Cola, Ford, and Marriott, while at top agencies including Burson, Rubenstein PR, and Hunter.  

Sam’s contributions to strategic communication have been recognized with industry honors including being named one of Ragan’s Top Women in Communications and PR News’s Top Women in the Industry.  She has garnered 17 industry awards for her client work and has been quoted in publications such as Rolling Stone, AdWeek, and The Drum. 

Her commitment to advancing the field is evident in her role on the Board of Trustees for the Institute for Public Relations, where she also serves as the Director of the Digital Media Research Center, focusing on industry-changing innovations like Artificial Intelligence and Web3. Sam’s dedication to continuous learning is reflected in her certifications in AI and digital marketing.  

Throughout her career, Sam has been active in inclusion initiatives, serving on several boards at Endeavor focused on promoting gender and racial equity, and is currently part of the MAKERS Circle, a community dedicated to accelerating equity for women in the workplace.  

Rowan Toffoli is a Generative AI-powered strategic communications manager at Lockheed Martin, supporting the innovation and technology portfolio and leading GenAI adoption for the Communications team. Toffoli partners with cross-functional teams to drive creative innovation storytelling in aerospace and defense tech. With a robust background that spans more than a decade, she’s honed her expertise in digital marketing, copywriting, and executive relationship management. Today, her focus is on revolutionizing corporate communication through Generative AI, enhancing operational efficiencies and content creation for the brand and executives.   

Martin Waxman conducts generative AI training and workshops and AI research and is a digital marcom strategist. He writes the Digital Marketing and AI Trends newsletter, which has more than 500,000 subscribers. He’s also a LinkedIn Learning instructor of more than ten courses and is the co-founder of two PR agencies and president of a consultancy.  

Martin is an adjunct professor of Marketing at the York Schulich School of Business and associate director of the Future of Marketing Institute. He’s a member of the Institute for Public Relations Digital Media Research Center, teaches a course in digital strategy at McMaster University and is a past-chair of PRSA Counselors Academy, and a past-president of CPRS Toronto.  He regularly speaks on generative AI at conferences and events across North America.  

Martin holds a Master of Communications Management from McMaster-Syracuse Universities and was the 2019 recipient of the Institute for Public Relations Best Master’s Thesis Award for his paper, “My BFF is a Chatbot”. He was the 2024 recipient of the Canadian Public Relations Society’s Thought Leader Award.