Robert Gibbs & Karen Hughes

Robert Gibbs's Biography

A top advisor to President Obama for nearly a decade and the former Executive Vice President and Global Chief Communications Officer of McDonald's (2015-19), Robert Gibbs is a communication expert who offers audiences a unique perspective on today's political, business and media environment. Drawing on his experience as both a Washington insider and executive at one of the most recognizable companies in the world, Gibbs provides robust insights into everything from the economy and regulatory environment to healthcare reform.

Karen Hughes's Biography

Karen Hughes is a leading communications strategist, specializing in strategic messaging, crisis communications and executive communications. Through her advisory firm Message Matters, Karen provides strategic counsel to major companies and senior executives facing complex reputational, policy and regulatory challenges, crises, organizational transitions and critical business decisions.

Karen served as Worldwide Vice Chair of global communications firm BCW (formerly Burson-Marsteller) from July 2008 to September 2022. In her role as Worldwide Vice Chair, Karen provided strategic communications counsel to many high-profile clients. Karen was the senior strategist on the team advising the first U.S. hospital to diagnose a patient with Ebola; she helped Blue Bell Ice Cream manage the largest food safety recall of 2015 after listeria was found in several of its products; she helped develop the strategy to differentiate Ford in the aftermath of the auto bailout; she advised a global healthcare company as it managed recalls of some of its most iconic consumer products; and she guided a major Texas retailer as it managed a complex data breach. She has led numerous communications workshops and media training sessions and worked directly with many senior executives on their messaging and communications strategies.

Karen has served on the Microsoft Advisory Council for Policy and Politics (MAC) since 2011, advising the Microsoft President and his executive team on many of the company’s most important policy, public affairs, legal and regulatory issues. 

Karen’s varied career has spanned journalism, political campaigns, and the private and public sectors, from helping lead winning presidential campaigns to serving at the highest levels of government. Karen served as Counselor to the President for President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2002. In this role she acted as strategic advisor to the president on communications and policy, and led the White House Offices of Communications, Media Affairs, Speechwriting and Press Secretary. Karen also served as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs from 2005 to 2007 where she led the U.S. government’s efforts to communicate America’s values abroad.  

Karen served on the Board of Directors and Compensation and NESG Committees for publicly traded Parsley Energy from 2017 to 2021, through its successful merger with Pioneer Natural Resources in early 2021. She is a member of the Bush Institute Advisory Council and the U.S. Afghan Women’s Council, an organization created to foster ties between the women of America and Afghanistan.

In 2020, Karen was inducted into the PRWeek Hall of Fame. She is the best-selling author of Ten Minutes from Normal, a book about working for President Bush and her decision to leave the White House to return with her family to Texas in 2002. Karen received a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Journalism from Southern Methodist University and was honored with SMU’s Distinguished Alumni award in 2003. Karen lives in Austin with her husband, attorney Jerry Hughes, and they have two children, Leigh and Robert, and four granddaughters, Lauren, Hallie, Claire and Lizzy. She is an active member of the Lakeway Church.