As Comcast Corp.’s executive vice president and chief communications officer, D’Arcy Rudnay serves as communications counsel to the company’s chairman, CEO and executive team, and leads the management of the company’s brand, reputation and strategic communications activities. Most recently, she led communications around the announcement of the company’s aborted $45 billion attempt to acquire Time Warner Cable, as well as its $30 billion purchase of NBCUniversal in 2011.
The NCTA is honoring Rudnay for her significant impact on promoting a positive public image and advocating public-policy positions for the cable industry at the national, state and local levels.
Rudnay has more than 35 years of experience in strategic communications for public corporations, national family owned businesses and large public-relations agencies in a broad array of industries. At Comcast, she oversees all communications for the company’s financial reporting, crisis management, federal and regulatory activities, product launches, employee relations, diversity, and social and digital media.
In 2012, she led the rebranding of Comcast following the NBCUniversal acquisition with a particular emphasis on repositioning the company in the media and technology industries.
Since her arrival at Comcast in 2003 as vice president of corporate communications, Rudnay has led all strategic corporate branding and communications as the company has grown from 68,000 employees and 21.5 million combined video, high-speed Internet, and voice customers to approximately 136,000 employees and 50 million combined customers today. During her tenure, she has led the repositioning of Comcast following its acquisitions of AT&T Broadband and Adelphia. She was promoted to senior vice president of corporate communications in 2007 and chief communications officer in 2012.
Prior to joining Comcast, Rudnay was in the financial services industry for nearly 10 years. At Lincoln Financial Group, she served as vice president of corporate communications and media relations and vice president of the Lincoln Financial Group Foundation. At Advanta Corp., she served as vice president of communications and corporate identity. Before that, she worked in communications for The Pew Charitable Trusts and for strategic communications firms in Washington, D.C.
Rudnay has served on the boards of directors and special committees for a number of nonprofit organizations, including the Steppingstone Foundation, Corporate Board of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Delaware Valley Grantmakers.
Rudnay earned a bachelor’s degree from Trinity College and a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. She lives in Radnor, Pa., with her husband.
Fun Fact:
In 2014, Rudnay was inducted into the PR Week PR Hall of Fame and was named the nation’s top woman in PR, as well as fourth on the list of “The 50 Most Powerful People in PR.” Rudnay was also one of the top 10 “50 Most Powerful People in PR” in 2013 and 2012, and in 2010 was inducted into the PR News PR Hall of Fame as one of the nation’s top 25 communications executives.
