Tod Donhauser Joins H/Advisors Abernathy as Managing Director and Head of the San Francisco Office

He brings more than 20 years of public affairs, technology policy and strategic communications experience to the firm

We are thrilled to announce that Tod Donhauser has joined the firm as Managing Director and Head of its San Francisco office, strengthening the firm’s stakeholder communications and engagement advisory offering for CEOs, board directors, and senior executives. Additionally, Managing Director Sheila Ennis has been named to the newly created position of Head of Investor Relations to help grow Abernathy’s world-class financial communications offering.

Donhauser brings more than 20 years of experience advising clients across the technology, healthcare, consumer, and financial services sectors on public affairs, technology policy, and strategic communications matters. He has a proven track record of successfully building, managing, and growing teams in the agency and corporate sectors, as well as developing value-added offerings for clients in the United States and across the globe.

“We are delighted to welcome such a strong leader and established strategic communications executive as Tod to our firm,” said Tom Johnson, CEO of H/Advisors Abernathy. “His experience leading complex communications assignments on behalf of clients in the U.S., Africa and the Middle East will be hugely additive to our leading communications advisory offering both in the United States and globally. Additionally, his track record counseling clients on complex reputation matters and devising communications strategies to navigate a highly dynamic regulatory environment will be an asset to our firm and to our clients on the West Coast and beyond.”

Donhauser started his career as a campaign manager and legislative aide, then transitioned to a decade-long career at Edelman, where he first led the public affairs practice in Washington, D.C. before establishing the firm’s Technology Policy Practice, interfacing with regulatory agencies and the federal legislative branch on behalf of corporate and trade union clients. He also launched Edelman’s offering in Africa, where he led operations and counseled clients across the continent from South Africa, and then in the United Arab Emirates, where he served as regional CEO, before moving on to lead the Trust Marketing team at Google.

“H/Advisors Abernathy has a unique understanding of the increasingly complex communications environment. I have long admired the firm for its deep relationships with senior executives and the team’s outcome-focused approach to solving complex business challenges for their clients,” said Donhauser. “I look forward to contributing to the diverse bench of advisors at Abernathy as the firm continues to add new capabilities and expand its reach, both in the United States and abroad.”

In addition to Donhauser’s appointment expanding Abernathy’s public affairs and strategic communications offering, Ennis’ new role as Head of Investor Relations underscores the firm’s focus on amplifying its proven financial communications expertise throughout the country. Ennis joined Abernathy’s San Francisco office in 2016, leveraging her 20 years of experience in equity capital markets advisory, technology-focused investment banking and investor relations consulting firms to counsel clients on critical issues such as transactions, shareholder activism defense and business model transformations. She will continue to draw from her deep knowledge of Wall Street dynamics and technical understanding of financial models and performance metrics to grow and evolve Abernathy’s world-class financial communications offering.