Sydney Isaacs
Managing Director, Head of Houston Office
Sydney Isaacs provides strategic communications counsel to companies during times of change, including mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, crises and activist shareholder engagements. Sydney’s work supports companies’ valuations and reputations through a combination of financial communications and PR strategies. She has particularly deep experience advising companies across the energy sector, providing support to clients on communications related to their diverse efforts to participate in and respond to the energy transition.
Sydney joined H/Advisors Abernathy in 2005 in the firm’s Los Angeles office and subsequently founded the Houston office. She was named one of the 50 most influential leaders in corporate governance in 2022 by the National Association of Corporate Directors. She is a frequent speaker on topics ranging from crisis management to investor activism defense. She is also a member of the firm’s six-person Leadership Team.
Representative Experience
• Centuri Group on its corporate repositioning as its parent company evaluated strategic alternatives under activist shareholder pressure
• ConocoPhillips on its $9.7 billion acquisition of Concho Resources
• Frank’s International on its merger with Expro Group
• Stratus Properties on its successful proxy contest against Oasis Management
• Texas Pacific Land Trust on its proxy contest and related litigation
• Xcel Energy on its crisis planning and response
• A chemicals manufacturer on its management of a ransomware crisis
Memberships and Affiliations
• Board of Directors, YMCA of Greater Houston
• Honoree, Directorship 100
• Advisory Board, National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Texas Tricities Chapter
• National Investor Relations Institute, former Houston Chapter Board member, Southwest Conference Chair and co-Chair
• Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, Troop Leader
• Turnaround Management Association, Houston Chapter, former President
• Center for Houston’s Future’s Business / Civic Leadership Forum, Graduate