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Communications coaching & consulting

You’retheoneeveryonecallsforclarity.Whodoyoucall?

Coaching and capacity-building for senior communicators — CCOs, VPs of Communications, Heads of PR.

A senior communicator addressing a softly blurred audience, seen from behind.

Who we help

As a senior communications leader — CCO, VP of Communications, Head of PR — you’re charged with being the clarity everyone else depends on. But the seat is isolating: you’re everyone’s sounding board, with no one playing that role for you, often absorbing organizational chaos with nowhere to put down what it costs you. And whether you’re facing your own next chapter or building your team’s capability to carry its own weight, you’re not looking for generic leadership coaching — you’re looking for someone who’s done the job.

Our approach

Every engagement starts with listening. We learn your audiences, your constraints, and the outcome you need — then help you build the solutions to get there.

  1. Clarity

    We get to the root of the challenge, separating what's true from any extraneous noise.

  2. Capability

    We work together to build what's needed, whether for you, your team, or your organization.

  3. Continuity

    We look beyond a one-time fix to ensure that new practices are carried forward.

Jennifer Byrne, founder of MERIT Communications Coaching & Consulting.

Meet Jennifer Byrne

Founder & Principal

With 25+ years as a senior communications leader and advisor to the C-suite, I know this seat from the inside — the pressure to have the answer, the isolation of being everyone’s translator and emotional shock absorber, the weight of steady hands when things get hard.

I partner with senior communicators like you — confidentially, one-on-one — to help you get clear on what’s next, lead without absorbing everyone else’s chaos, and stop playing smaller than your title, your instincts, and your track record.

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Why our clients choose MERIT

Because I’ve sat in your seat.

Not adjacent to it — in it. 25+ years as a senior communications leader and advisor to the C-suite means I’m not learning your world secondhand. When you talk through a board dynamic, a message that isn’t landing, or a leader you can’t get straight with, I already know the terrain.

Because this is built for communicators — not retrofitted for them.

Most executive coaching is generic leadership development with your title swapped in. This isn’t that. Every framework, every conversation, every capability-building engagement is designed specifically for the demands of the comms seat.

Because it’s confidential, by design.

You spend your career protecting everyone else’s message. This is the one place you don’t have to manage yours. What’s said here stays here.

Because you get a partner, not a playbook.

No pre-built formula applied regardless of fit. I listen first — to your role, your organization, your ambitions — and build from there.

Because it works at both altitudes.

Some clients need one-on-one coaching to navigate their own next chapter. Others need their organization’s communications capability built up — spokesperson training, deputy development, crisis-ready teams. Many need both. I work at whichever altitude — or both — the moment calls for.

Ways to work together

  • Communications Advisory and Coaching

    One-on-one confidential coaching for communications leaders who need a sounding board and “silent partner” in their day-to-day work.

    • Support to meet the demands that go hand-in-hand with senior communications roles.
    • Feedback in areas such as executive presence, problem-solving, and stakeholder influence.
    • A partner to help navigate challenges relating to your organization, your role, and your career.
  • Communications Capacity Building

    A plug-in communications resource for you, your team, and your senior executives.

    • Building strong communications functions and teams.
    • Communications and/or media training for executives in the organization.
    • Roll-up-your-sleeves writing, strategizing and execution when needed.

What our clients say

I initially started working with Jen as a career coach... But it quickly became so much more than that—our sessions evolved into a mix of career and life coaching that helped me navigate not just my work, but how I show up in all areas of my life…Her coaching has been a game-changer, and I can’t recommend her enough to anyone looking for not just career clarity, but a more intentional approach to work and life.
Jacalyn L.New YorkSenior Communications Executive
After leaving a long-term corporate role, I felt adrift as I entered the world of consulting. Jen supported my journey with an empathetic ear and tangible recommendations that helped me move into the next phase of my career. I’m so grateful to have Jen in my corner!
Jessica C.MinneapolisSenior Communications Executive

If this resonates, let’s talk.

Start with a 30-minute free conversation.

Contact MERIT