Leading Through Change: Lessons from an ELA Alumna
By Elisa O'Halloran
Over the past several years, Rosemary Girard has grown and scaled her role—both in the number of people and remits she oversees, and in the breadth of the subject matter. Now a Senior Vice President at Edelman, she leads corporate and executive communications for a large tech company that plays a significant role on the global stage and in AI innovation.
“Diving deeper into my learning on AI has been a fun and challenging project to sink my teeth into,” Rosemary says. “It’s also a necessary one, given it’s a focal point of the thought leadership being driven by the executives I support.”
Outside of work, she makes it a point to fuel her passions—traveling, hiking, photographing, scuba diving, and flower arranging. “I believe that fueling my passions outside of work makes me a better professional,” she adds.
Looking back on her Emerging Leaders Awards experience, Rosemary says, “It was truly an honor and something I think back on very fondly. While I always strive to do my best work with or without recognition, I’m so grateful that my leadership stood out and that I was able to represent Edelman in this way.”
Although she’s since moved to California, she credits WWPR and the DC PR community for shaping her career: “It reinforced for me the power of community in this industry, especially in the Washington, DC area. The DC community is a special network and will always feel like home to me.”
When asked what advice she’d give to up-and-coming women in PR—or future ELA winners—Rosemary says, “Don’t compare your own blooper reel to someone else’s highlight reel. Especially under pressure, it’s easy to convince yourself that other people you admire haven’t made the same mistakes you have. But it’s important to fail fast, train your resilience muscle, and keep moving forward. The more senior I’ve become, the more I’ve found that the highs are higher and the lows are lower, so it’s important for me to maintain perspective and focus on making the next best decision with the information I have at the time and to trust my instincts.”
A standout moment from her ELA experience? “Learning about the work of the other nominees,” she says. “Communications professionals are often doing quiet work behind the scenes, so it was wonderful to hear so many women get the praise they deserve.”
