Influential Women profiles Meredith Coburn on communications leadership in change

Influential Women published a profile of Meredith Coburn, a Chicago communications leader with more than 14 years of experience in executive communications, internal communications and change management. The profile highlights her work at Delta Dental of California, Edelman and JPMorgan Chase, and her view that communications is becoming a strategic driver of trust, alignment and employee engagement. Why it matters: - Meredith Coburn’s career reflects how communications has shifted from message delivery to a business function tied to culture, trust and performance. - Her work centers on helping employees understand change, which can affect engagement, alignment and execution during major organizational transitions. - The profile also points to the growing influence of AI in communications, while underscoring the continued need for empathy, judgment and authentic storytelling. What happened: - Influential Women profiled Meredith Coburn, a Chicago-based communications strategist with 14+ years of experience in executive communications, internal communications and change management. - Coburn most recently served as Executive & Internal Communications Manager at Delta Dental of California. - In that role, she worked with senior leadership on enterprise-wide communications strategy, leadership messaging and employee engagement during periods of transformation. - Coburn also spent more than six years at Edelman advising clients on corporate communications, employee engagement and reputation-building. - She began her career at JPMorgan Chase in commercial banking communications and stakeholder engagement. The details: - At Delta Dental of California, Coburn acted as a strategic counselor to executives and helped connect people strategy with business strategy. - Her work focused on giving employees clarity, context and confidence during change. - She helped design communications approaches that supported enterprise priorities and reinforced organizational culture. - She worked across functions to improve message consistency and leadership visibility. - At Edelman, Coburn built strategies aimed at strengthening internal alignment, leadership narratives and stakeholder trust. - Her early JPMorgan Chase experience gave her exposure to large-scale organizational dynamics and regulated environments. - Coburn is pursuing a Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University. - She is especially interested in the intersection of communications, leadership and emerging technologies, including AI. - The profile says Coburn also enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, and creative work such as modeling and on-camera projects. - More information Between the lines: - The profile positions Coburn as part of a broader shift in which communications is expected to shape behavior, not just distribute information. - Her comments emphasize that trust and inclusivity are becoming core leadership tools, not soft add-ons. - The AI discussion suggests an industry tension: more automation on one hand, and more demand for human-centered communication on the other. - Her focus on mentorship and lifting others reflects a leadership model that values shared influence over hierarchy. What’s next: - Coburn is continuing her graduate studies at Northwestern while expanding her focus on the future of communications. - The profile suggests she will keep working at the intersection of employee engagement, change management and organizational storytelling. - Her perspective points to a communications field that will likely keep blending strategy, technology and human connection. The bottom line: - Meredith Coburn’s profile frames communications as a critical lever for alignment, culture and change inside modern organizations.