Susan J. Reilly 

President and Founder

Susan Reilly is president and founder of Reilly Connect. Susan is an award-winning seasoned communications executive with more than 25 years of experience in strategic communications planning for global brands and organizations, issues management, crisis planning, media relations, digital, social and influencer media planning and management, and content strategy and production. Reilly has a long history of helping clients traverse the challenging communications environment, set measurable goals and achieve effective results through paid, owned and earned media. Reilly brings deep insights and experience to every communications challenge and taps into technology to deliver effective results.

Susan is widely known as The Communications Coach™ and has led workshops for organizations on gaining insights into the media landscape, how to prepare and manage issues, how to establish a crisis preparedness plan and how to effectively correct misinformation and responsibly deliver and amplify messages with impact and authenticity. She created The Reilly Communications Training Method™ and has coached hundreds of people world-renowned subject matter experts, leaders of corporations and professional associations, and high profile influencers using this battery-tested, proprietary process to shape messages, prepare messengers for presentations and media scenarios that boost the likelihood of favorable results.

The firm is a proud recipient of many awards and most recently was the recipient of a Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Silver Anvil. Susan has also won many awards over the years. Most recently, she was named The Top 50 Women Leaders of Illinois for 2023 by Women We Admire. She was also named a “Top Women in PR” by PRWeek.

Reilly has extensive theatre training, a love for the arts and comedy.  Susan is an avid photographer and holds a license to sail 50-foot vessels. She is a proud mother of three amazing children and splits her time between Chicago and Denver.