Catherine Hernandez-Blades addresses the audience at Institute of Public Relations Distinguished Lecture and Awards Dinner.
December 2021.
Throughout her career, which she metaphorically
refers to as a jungle gym and not a ladder, Hernandez-
Blades has worked for and represented a variety of
different industries, from aerospace and defense
giants Raytheon Technologies and Lockheed Martin to
insurance leader Aflac, and eventually Science
Applications International Corp. (SAIC), finding success
at each place. When asked for the source of her
success at such a varied list of companies, she says,
“There was no secret handshake. While I changed
industries – whether it was financial services,
aerospace and defense, or running a government
agency, I always played to my strengths, which were to
run a communications function, to run a marketing
function, and to understand the business side of how
business gets done.”
She realized that as the leader, she was going
to be working longer and harder than everyone
else if she wanted to make an impact on her team
and organization.
In her current role as senior vice president of
marketing and communications at SAIC, Hernandez-
Blades is passionate about enhancing, protecting, and
growing the brand and reputation of the company. She
is responsible for an expansive list of services
including branding, advertising, social media, digital
transformation, public relations, corporate social
responsibility, and environmental social and governance.
“We have a great reputation as a company
for solving hard problems and being an ethically sound
company,” she shares. “Those are the stories that
I get to tell that hopefully inspire a positive action or
outcome as a result.”
Her team also provides change management,
focusing on “changing some minds by changing some
hearts and inspiring them to act.”
With more than 25 years of experience,
the Emmy-winner and PR News Hall of Famer
brings to this position a wealth of knowledge and
expertise. Today her work has been recognized by
her leadership.
“Catherine brings a deep understanding of how
factors like SAIC’s culture, people and brand will play
a critical role in helping our company to succeed and
grow,” says Michelle O’Hara, executive vice president
and chief human resources officer at SAIC. “After just
a few months at SAIC, she is already raising the bar for
us in terms of how we communicate our company’s
exceptional story both within and outside the company.
Her focus on supporting the business while elevating
discussions around issues like diversity and inclusion
and corporate responsibility are enhancing the way we
are viewed by our customers, our workforce and the
public in general.”
While all of that seems like a heavy load for one
person to carry, Hernandez-Blades is able to bear the
Catherine Hernandez-Blades with Greg
Wooldridge, former commanding officer of
the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and guest
speaker at SAIC marketing and
communications team 2021 off-site meeting.
weight of it because she has followed in the steps of
a man she calls “the most remarkable leader she has
ever known” – Jon Jones, her boss during her time
at Raytheon.
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