Adrian J. Hopkins
External Affairs Committee Chair
Adrian J. Hopkins is the Global Head of Employee Engagement & Communications at The Weber Shandwick Collective, the strategic communications and consulting network built for the convergence of society, media, policy, and technology. As the first leader to hold this role, Adrian is responsible for shaping and implementing communication strategies to foster employee engagement, alignment, and a strong sense of belonging. Previously, he was Senior Vice President of Internal Culture & Communications at Grey New York, an advertising agency. Earlier roles in human resources, strategy, branding, and business development have shaped Adrian's approach to people-focused transformation.
Before Weber Shandwick, he led several culture change initiatives at The New York Times. There, he created the company's first global employee mentorship program, which produced higher promotion and lower turnover rates for its participants, particularly for employees of color. He also led the strategy to provide on-demand professional coaching to 4,700 Times employees and, as co-chair of the Black@NYT employee resource group, advised the company's inaugural diversity report. For his impact at The Times, Adrian received the Publisher's Award—the company's highest employee recognition—twice during his five-year tenure.
He has also been a career coach and writer, with career advice and personal narratives published in The Daily Muse, TIME, Forbes, and more.
Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Adrian earned a B.A. in History from Yale and an M.A. in Media Studies from The New School. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and rescue dog.