MATRIX 2021 SPOTLIGHT: JUDITH HARRISON

Executive Vice President, Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Weber Shandwick

Judith Harrison leads global diversity, equity and inclusion at Weber Shandwick. She drives programs designed to build a diverse workforce operating in a culture of inclusion and belonging to create impactful, innovative solutions for clients.

In addition to human resources and recruiting experience, Judith’s background includes communications positions and projects at Burson-Marsteller, Ernst & Young, CBS, Media General, Random House, and the Italian Trade Commission.

Since joining Weber Shandwick in 2006, Judith has guided the firm to recognition as a champion of diversity and inclusion, with honors including an unparalleled four PRWeek/PR Council Diversity Distinction in PR Awards and numerous others.

Judith is past president of the PRSA Foundation and two-term president of New York Women in Communications. She is the only woman of color to hold either position, and the only individual to hold both simultaneously.

While leading the PRSA Foundation, Judith conceived and drove creation of Diverse Voices: Profiles in Leadership, a groundbreaking book of interviews with 40+ BIPOC and LGBTQ corporate, agency and academic PR leaders, designed to provide inspiration to aspiring professionals and guidance to employers on ways to better maintain inclusive environments in which people from all backgrounds can thrive.

Judith is a founding member of the Diversity Action Alliance, serves on the 4A’s Diversity Steering Committee and is a former member of the Clinton Global Initiative Disabilities Working Group.

Judith has been honored with the 2011 New York Women’s Agenda STAR Award, the 2019 ColorComm Circle Award and the 2019 PR Council/PRWeek Diversity Champion Award, among others, and was named as one of Savoy’s Top Influential Women in Corporate America in 2012, 2014 and 2019.