Melissa Johnson
Managing Director
Melissa provides strategic communications counsel and support to boards of directors and company executives. She has significant experience navigating complex, high-stakes situations, including M&A, corporate transformations and integrations, crises, management changes, and shareholder activism. She also assists clients with ongoing reputation management, investor relations, and employee communications. Melissa is passionate about building long-term relationships with her clients and acts as a candid advisor and fierce advocate.
Recent Highlights
Select Experience
M&A and Integration
Melissa supports clients through every stage of the M&A process, developing messaging and communications to effectively announce the transaction to the market, communicate during the integration planning process, navigate regulatory and shareholder challenges through the sign to close period, and embed culture following close. Examples include Kimberly-Clark’s pending acquisition and integration of Kenvue; Waters Corporation’s acquisition and integration of BD’s Lifesciences and Diagnostic Solutions business; Helmerich & Payne’s acquisition and integration of KCA Deutag; Catalent’s sale to Novo Holdings; Amcor’s merger with Berry Global; Bristol Myers Squibb’s acquisitions and integrations of Celgene, MyoKardia, Turning Point, Mirati, RayzeBio and Karuna; Everbridge’s sale to Thoma Bravo; and Life Storage’s combination with Extra Space and prior to that its response to an unsolicited proposal from Public Storage.
Crisis Preparedness and Communications
Melissa has supported clients in navigating a broad array of crises, including the impact of tariffs, regional conflicts, social movements, and natural disasters; allegations of executive misconduct, fraud and accounting irregularities; cybersecurity breaches; earnings surprises; product recalls; government investigations and regulatory actions; and litigation.
Investor and Public Relations
Melissa works closely with her clients to refine their corporate story and enhance their communications strategies, providing guidance on overall narrative, ongoing investor and media engagement, governance and succession issues, reorganizations and transformations, and large-scale investor events such as investor days.
Shareholder Activism Defense
Melissa has advised companies of all sizes on public and private activist situations, including in the context of M&A. She has helped companies defend against some of the most prominent activist investors, including Elliott, Engaged, Ancora, Starboard, Third Point, and Engine.
In Conversation
Personal Side
In the News
Credentials
Melissa received a BA in political science from Vassar College.