Welcome to the Communications Business Advisor™ podcast with host Tara McDonagh. In this episode, Tara sits down with Stephanie Roberts, Chief Communications Officer at Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems, a global company within the Hitachi Ltd. family. Joining from Japan, Stephanie shares how she leads a 25+ person global function spanning Japan, the U.S., Europe, China, and Southeast Asia—and why Communications now reports directly to the CEO.

Stephanie walks through how she evolved Communications from a department nested under “sustainability” into a centralized, C-suite–level function that integrates corporate communications, branding, events & exhibitions, and digital. She also gets candid about advocating for resources, educating executives in different cultural contexts, and measuring the value of good counsel—especially the crises that never happen because Comms shaped smarter decisions upstream.

For anyone aiming to lead at the highest levels of Communications, this conversation is packed with practical guidance on structure, influence, and impact. In this episode, Tara and Stephanie cover:

• Why Communications moved to report to the CEO—and what changed
• Team design at a global scale: four sub-teams (Corporate Comms, Brand, Events/Exhibitions, Digital) and why internal + external were combined
• Centralizing the function to align messaging and increase effectiveness across regions
• Benchmarks vs. business need: how to size and shape a team without “comparison traps”
• Educating executives (and peers) so Comms is required in the room, not invited late
• Measuring the “art” of counsel: using outcomes, behavior change, and credible anecdotes
• Budget & headcount advocacy: tying roles to business risk, reputation, and AI-era search visibility
• Skills for senior leaders: relationship-building, tenacity, and being a truth-teller
• Global realities: leading in Japan, KPI-heavy cultures, and the rise of internal comms
• The field’s opportunities and pressures: crisis readiness, employee engagement, AI ethics
• Career advice: raise your hand for hard assignments—the moves that accelerate growth
  
  

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This episode is sponsored by Raise the Tide™, a program designed for women in communications in corporate, healthcare, and higher education—helping them advance their careers through mentorship, professional development, and community.

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Meet Stephanie Roberts:

As Chief Communications Officer at Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems (HIES), Stephanie Roberts is responsible for the company’s internal and external communications and branding strategy. She serves on the senior executive committee, leading a global team across internal and external communications, media relations, branding, crisis communications, social media, the company website, events and more.

More than three years ago, Stephanie moved to Tokyo as the first expat sent to HIES' HQ. She also works with teams across the Americas, China, Southeast Asia and EMEA and, driven by her passion for storytelling and exploring different cultures, has traveled to more than 30 countries.

Follow Stephanie Roberts on LinkedIn to continue the conversation and learn from her global perspective on Communications leadership.