# Kelli Parsons

> Kelli Parsons is chief executive officer and a board member of Avōq, based in Washington, D.C. A former television reporter and global CEO of Hill & Knowlton, she has held senior communications and marketing roles at Fannie Mae, New York Life, Warburg Pincus and United Technologies. Her work also includes professional association leadership, mentorship and support for international study.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer at Avōq
- **Organizations:** Avōq, Hill & Knowlton, United Technologies, New York Life, Fannie Mae, Warburg Pincus, Blue Sky Advisors, Page, Institute for Public Relations, Murray State University, University of Kentucky Gatton College of Business and Economics
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Journalism; graduated magna cum laude, Murray State University, Master’s degree in journalism, Northwestern University, Medill
- **Known for:** 2026 Larry Foster Award for Integrity in Public Communication, Arthur W. Page Center, 2026 Distinguished Mentor award, Martin Center for Mentorship in Communication, 2025 Distinguished Alumna, Murray State University

## Career timeline

- **Early career** — Worked as a television news reporter, beginning in Paducah and later at network affiliates including Nashville and Houston.
- **2008** — Left Hill & Knowlton after a ten-year stint; subsequently led communications and marketing at Warburg Pincus.
- **Financial crisis era** — Joined Fannie Mae as chief communications officer.
- **2014** — Appointed chief corporate communications and marketing officer at New York Life, effective November 17.
- **2017** — Joined United Technologies as senior vice president and chief communications officer; also launched Blue Sky Advisors.
- **2020** — Returned to Hill & Knowlton as global chair of corporate affairs, effective June 15.
- **2024** — Became global CEO of Hill & Knowlton on July 1; began term as Page board chair.
- **2025** — Recognized as a Distinguished Alumna of Murray State University.
- **2026** — Became CEO and board member of Avōq on February 2; immediate past chair of Page.

## Achievements

- 2026 Larry Foster Award for Integrity in Public Communication, Arthur W. Page Center
- 2026 Distinguished Mentor award, Martin Center for Mentorship in Communication
- 2025 Distinguished Alumna, Murray State University
- 2016 Women Worth Watching recognition
- PRWeek Power List recognition in 2014
- Led Fannie Mae communications team recognized as PRWeek Team of the Year in 2014
- Led communications during United Technologies’ acquisition of Rockwell Collins, Carrier and Otis spin-offs, and $74 billion Raytheon merger
- Approximately 25 former team members became communications chiefs, CEOs or founders, according to Parsons

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — Discussed her background, mentoring and Avōq’s AI-enabled services in a Capitol Communicator interview.
- **2026-03** — Honored at the March 23 Page Center Awards with the Larry Foster Award for Integrity in Public Communication.
- **2026-03** — Featured on Mindful Mentoring with Tom Martin on March 18 as the 2026 Distinguished Mentor recipient.
- **2026-02** — Started as Avōq CEO and board member on February 2.

## Links

- Website: https://teamavoq.com/people/kelli-parsons/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keparsons

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/kelli-parsons
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-06