SOUTHLAKE, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The strategic communications advisory firm TrailRunner International today announced the appointment of Managing Director and Executive Committee Chairman Jim Hughes to the position of Chief Executive Officer.
TrailRunner International Founder, Chairman and CEO Jim Wilkinson will continue to serve as Executive Chairman of the firm. As TrailRunner’s Chairman, Wilkinson will focus on implementing the firm’s global growth strategy while continuing to counsel strategic clients.
Headquartered in Dallas/Fort Worth and with offices in New York, Shanghai, Nashville, and Truckee, Calif., TrailRunner International has experienced significant growth since its founding in 2016, with strong momentum in special situations and corporate assignments spanning financial communications, crisis communications, corporate reputation, sports and high-impact reputational work across the full spectrum of corporate affairs.
In 2020 Wilkinson appointed Jim Hughes to chair the firm’s Executive Committee, and the firm saw significant growth in 2021. Under Hughes’ leadership, the firm in 2021 opened its new headquarters in Dallas/Fort Worth and a new regional office in Nashville while significantly growing its global client base, revenue, and headcount. TrailRunner has a broad and diverse group of global clients headquartered in North America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. The firm, which has more than doubled in size since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, does not publicly disclose its clients.
“Jim Hughes was there with me from the very beginning when I founded TrailRunner International, and he has helped to build our firm into the exciting growth company it is today,” said Jim Wilkinson. “Our goal has always been to establish TrailRunner as a valued partner to leading organizations around the world, with a strong culture 100% focused on teamwork, service, diversity and inclusion, and helping clients win. Jim has played an integral role in shaping and leading that culture while driving our growth as an advisor to clients facing major inflection points like IPOs, M&A events, litigation, and other significant reputational issues. I am excited to hand the reins over to Jim as TrailRunner’s next CEO, and I look forward to working closely with him and the rest of the team as we head into our next phase of international growth.”
“I am humbled and honored by the opportunity to lead this incredibly strong and dedicated team that is fiercely committed to the success of its clients in these complex times,” Jim Hughes said. “The ability to win and maintain stakeholder trust is now a baseline requirement for any company that wants to grow, enter new markets, attract capital, and successfully navigate today’s dynamic global regulatory environment. We are proud to have helped our clients transition to this new mode of operations that puts stakeholder accountability at the center of corporate strategy, and we’re excited about the significant growth opportunity ahead for TrailRunner as an independent firm with global reach, deep advisory and execution capabilities, and an unequaled commitment to client service.”
TrailRunner’s offices will continue to be led by established leaders in the firm who have made essential contributions to TrailRunner’s growth: Managing Director Pat Shortridge in Dallas/Fort Worth, Managing Director Lauren DiGeronimo in Truckee, Managing Director Trudy Wang in Shanghai, Managing Director Kelly Wallace in New York City, and Director Sarah Grubbs in Nashville. These leaders each will continue to drive hiring and growth in their respective markets while advising global clients.
Before leaving his corporate career to help start up TrailRunner, Jim Hughes served as SVP and Head of Media Relations for Citizens Financial Group. He also previously worked for Comcast and for CVS Health in roles focused on corporate communications, crisis communications, public policy communications, reputation management, and consumer and B2B public relations. A former political, legal affairs and breaking news reporter for The Denver Post, he was a member of the reporting team that won the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news in 2000 and he covered the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq as an embedded reporter. He lives in Olympic Valley, Calif., with his wife and their two teenaged children.
About TrailRunner International
TrailRunner International is a rapidly growing global strategic communications firm that provides crisis communications, financial communications, and ongoing corporate communications support to the world’s top enterprises, institutions, and individuals. TrailRunner is headquartered in Dallas/Fort Worth with offices in New York, Truckee, Calif., Nashville, and Shanghai. Learn more at trailrunnerint.com.
