Strategic Communications Firm Selects Globally Recognized Industry Leader to Drive Next Phase of Innovation and Growth
Washington, D.C. – Avoq has appointed Kelli Parsons as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board, effective February 2, 2026.
Parsons will bring to Avoq a powerful combination of proven enterprise leadership and deep practitioner expertise, shaped by her tenure as global CEO of Hill & Knowlton, Fortune 50 C-suite leader and her role as a trusted advisor to CEOs, executive management teams, and boards of directors. A highly sought-after corporate affairs and marketing leader, she has driven growth, innovation and operational excellence across global organizations. Widely respected for creating value in defining moments, Parsons guides organizations through material risk to achieve positive outcomes when reputations are on the line and decisions matter most.
Parsons will lead Avoq as the firm continues to deepen its services to help clients solve complex challenges, protect and build reputations, shape policy outcomes and deliver business-critical results in a climate characterized by economic and geopolitical risk, heightened scrutiny of brands and rapid change across business and society.
“Kelli is one of the most respected practitioners in the business,” said Steve Elmendorf, Avoq co-founder and managing partner. “She brings deep experience and a forward-looking, pragmatic approach to leading Avoq and advancing the firm’s capabilities. Our clients and team will benefit immediately from her leadership and strategic vision.”
“I’m excited to lead Avoq’s exceptional team as we create breakthrough opportunities for our clients and our people,” said Kelli Parsons. “In today’s dynamic operating environment, communication plays a transformative role in resilience, growth and long-term value creation. As a former CCMO, I understand how to partner with clients to build customer preference and stakeholder trust, manage risk, strengthen reputation and brand equity and create business value. Avoq will work relentlessly to exceed expectations as our clients’ trusted strategic and creative partner.”
“As Avoq continues to grow in 2026 and beyond, Kelli brings the business acumen and strategic focus to accelerate new opportunities,” added Will Wynperle, partner and founder of Coral Tree Partners. “She understands how to scale the firm, drive innovation and focus on client impact – qualities that will shape Avoq’s future and enable continued growth.”
As global CEO of Hill & Knowlton, Parsons successfully led the firm’s growth and innovation strategy, including the development of its global advisory business and its intelligence system to measure and manage reputational capital. Previously, Parsons served as Chief Communications and Marketing Officer for Fortune 50 companies, where she created multi-stakeholder strategies to achieve strategic and commercial objectives, manage risk and strengthen brand equity during large-scale business and cultural transformations.
Parsons is deeply invested in advancing the impact and influence of the communications profession and the development of its future leaders. She is the immediate past chair of Page, the premier global professional association for senior communication executives and serves as a trustee of the Institute for Public Relations, an organization dedicated to industry-leading research.
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Avoq is a bipartisan firm serving corporations, nonprofits and public-sector organizations operating at the intersection of business, policy, and culture. The firm combines industry-leading talent with AI-enabled technology to deliver insight, intelligence and strategic counsel. Avoq’s integrated model spans public affairs, government relations, communications, creative, data analytics, paid media and research, and is built to help clients navigate transition, controversy and opportunity.
Clients Avoq proudly serves include The Blackstone Group, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Delta Air Lines, Exelon, Google, Johns Hopkins University, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Williams Companies.
