With the spring semester underway, preparations for commencement are slowly coming to light. In an email sent to the College community on November 21, 2022, President Katherine Bergeron announced that Pfizer Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Sally Susman ‘84 will deliver the keynote speech at this year’s commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 21, 2023.
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Susman was recently named by Forbes on their list of the world’s Most Influential Chief Marketing Officers in June of 2022. Susman was recognized by Forbes for her efforts marketing the Pfizer Covid vaccine and embracing non-traditional communications channels, such as TikTok, to do so. In her role at Pfizer, Susman is currently responsible for directing communications, corporate responsibility, global policy, government relations, investor relations, and patient advocacy with Pfizer’s stockholders according to Pfizer. As a member of the pharmaceutical company’s executive board, Susman holds significant influence in Pfizer’s corporate policies. Additionally, Susman is currently vice chair of the Pfizer Foundation and co-chair of Pfizer’s Political Action Committee.
Outside of Pfizer, Susman serves on the board of numerous corporate and non-profit boards. Currently, she serves as a co-chair of the International Rescue Committee, a globally-involved humanitarian aid organization, and on the board of UL Solutions, a safety science company involved in more than 100 countries. Susman is also a member of the board of the Council on Foreign Relations, an independent think tank specialized in foreign policy. Previously, she has also been a board member of WPP, a global giant in communications, and the U.S. India Business Council.
Before joining Pfizer in 2007, Susman served as the Executive Vice President of Global Communications at cosmetics giant the Estée Lauder Companies for seven years, leading communications for the company’s 28 brands. In the 1990’s, she worked in several high level communications positions for the financial services corporation American Express including as a leader of American Express’s European Corporate Affairs and Communications.
Prior to her work in the corporate world, Susman worked in government on Capital Hill for eight years. Susman worked as a legislative assistant for the Senate Commerce Committee and later as a deputy assistant secretary for legislative and intergovernmental affairs. As a legislative assistant, Susman focused on handling trade and foreign investment issues for the Senate Commerce Committee. As deputy assistant secretary, she built upon her previous experience as a legislative assistant and led legislative international trade issue strategy. In this role, Susman worked across the Clinton administration and with senators, representatives, governors, and mayors.
Susman’s involvement in government did not end with her transition to corporate work. In 2013, she served as finance chair for New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s bid for New York City Mayor. Susman has also served on the Finance Committee of the Democratic National Committee and on the board of the U.S. Library of Congress.
It should come as no surprise then that Susman majored in Government at Connecticut College before studying at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Susman remains involved in the College’s community even today. As a part of the College’s Career Informed Learning (CIL) initiative in Connections, Susman has been invited back often to speak to students about government, corporate ethics, and gender in business and politics according to the College website.
In addition to being recognized by Forbes, Susman was named by public relations magazine PRWeek as one of the “20 Most Influential Communicators” of the last two decades and has been named on their “Power List” of influential communications leaders the last two years. In 2019, Susman was honored as a Matrix Awards Honoree by the New York Women in Communications non-profit organization. Susman has also appeared on numerous print publications and broadcast programs including the New York Times, MSNBC, and Big Think.
Prior to her speech at Commencement, Susman’s first book Breaking Through: Communicating to Open Minds, Move Hearts, and Change the World will be released on March 28, 2023. According to her website, her book will give perspective on how Pfizer was able to overcome the various communications challenges the pandemic presented. Additionally, she will describe the various difficulties of embracing yourself in the workplace and home and how to become a better leader through candor.
Currently, Susman resides with her wife and daughter in New York City and Sag Harbor, New York. She enjoys reading and gardening in her spare time.
Susman’s selection as Commencement Speaker was in large part due to the work of the College’s Commencement Speaker Committee. This committee was co-chaired by Lauren Middleton ‘23 and Dominique Moran ’23 and included fellow students Hannah Gonzalez ’23, Liam Rimas ’23, Sukrit Narang ’23, Samuel Maidenberg ’23 and faculty and staff members Anne Bernhard, Marc Forster, Tori McKenna, Sunil Bhatia and Tiffany Thiele.
During the Commencement ceremony, the College will present Susman with an honorary doctorate of humane letters (honoris causa), to recognize her work fighting health misinformation at Pfizer and her commitment to lifelong learning according to the College. •
