Matt Bennett is a creative senior executive with more than 25 years of experience in strategic communications, brand marketing, stakeholder engagement, issues management, and global advocacy. He designs and executes integrated campaigns that advance business priorities while building trusted connections with influencers, consumers, and policymakers. He has served in C-suite roles for major trade associations, higher education institutions, and leading public relations agencies.

For the past seven years, Matt served as vice president and chief communications officer at American University (AU). He led university-wide communications and marketing strategies that drove multiple years of record applications and elevated AU’s reputation and rankings. He launched the university’s first new brand campaign in a decade, while supporting AU’s record-setting $500 million fundraising initiative. In 2024, he added Community and Government Relations to his portfolio and successfully guided AU through some of the most consequential higher education policy and political changes in generations.

Previously, as executive vice president of global communications at the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Matt guided worldwide communications efforts for the film and television industry, providing strategic counsel for policy, legal, and content protection operations. He directed major public engagement and policy initiatives in EMEA and APAC, including a comprehensive consumer antipiracy education campaign in the United Kingdom. At the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), he served as senior vice president of communications and public affairs, leading all internal and external communications and developing global advocacy programs, including an EU-wide initiative to promote the safety of clinical trials and prevent overly restrictive regulations. He advised PhRMA and member company leaders on branding, positioning, and engagement strategies that supported successful policy outcomes.

Matt has also held senior public relations agency roles, including at GolinHarris (now Golin Ketchum) where he led major client relationships such as Kaiser Permanente and Olympus, and as senior vice president and managing director of the Washington, DC office of Racepoint Global, an international public relations firm. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from American University. He lives in Virginia with his wife and daughter.