High stakes counsel,
when leaders need it most.
Experienced counsel across reputation, media, financial risk, leadership visibility, and employee alignment.
David W. Carter
David Carter is a senior communications executive and trusted advisor to leaders operating in complex, highly scrutinized environments. For more than three decades, he has helped publicly traded companies, nonprofit organizations, and government institutions navigate reputational risk, crisis, transformation, and growth – often at moments when clarity, credibility, and judgment matter most.
David’s experience spans reputation and crisis management, media relations and digital engagement, employee communications, litigation and financial communications, and executive positioning. He is known for helping leaders translate complex ideas and strategies into clear, credible narratives that resonate with key stakeholders – both external and internal – and for providing media and message training to C-suite executives during periods of heightened visibility and pressure. His background, combining senior corporate communications leadership with deep government and public affairs experience, has proven especially valuable in highly regulated sectors such as healthcare and trade finance.
Leading through complexity and change
David has led communications at some of the nation’s largest and most complex organizations.
Healthfirst
As head of corporate communications for the New York–based health insurer ($18B in revenue; 5,000 employees),
David expanded engagement across traditional and social media and helped develop high-impact storytelling initiatives that strengthened emotional connection with members, community stakeholders, and employees.
Highmark Health
As Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer of this $20B diversified healthcare organization,
David led and directed a team of 65 communications professionals and helped guide the company through a highly publicized, multi-year market and contract dispute with the region’s dominant health system – one of the most significant healthcare conflicts in the country at the time.
Aetna Inc.
Serving over a decade in senior communications roles, including Vice President of Corporate Communications,
David played a key role during a major corporate turnaround and helped position Aetna as a trusted voice during the national debate over healthcare reform. He also led communications for high-profile national litigation involving major health insurers and providers. His work was later featured in a University of Virginia Darden School of Business case study on managing enterprise risk through stakeholder engagement.
Experience
Institutional Leadership and Board Service
David has applied his leadership and governance experience in service of mission-driven institutions.
He served for 12 years on the board of directors of the American School for the Deaf, including four years as president of the board. Upon completing his service, he was recognized by Connecticut’s governor for his outstanding commitment in support of deaf children and their families.
David also volunteers with the Englischhausen English-language immersion program in Germany, supporting international business and civic leaders preparing for expanded global roles.
Foundation in Government
David began his career in Washington, D.C., serving on the appropriations staff of U.S. Representative Bernard Dwyer (D-NJ)
before transitioning into senior client service and management roles at The Wexler Group, a respected government relations firm. This early experience helped shape his ability to operate effectively at the intersection of policy, politics, and public communication.
Public Affairs Leadership at the Highest Level
As a Presidential appointee, David served as Vice President for Communications at the Export-Import Bank of the United States and concurrently as Acting Vice President for Congressional Affairs.
In these roles, he was the agency’s chief spokesperson and principal advisor to the Bank’s president and board of directors, leading strategic communications at the intersection of national policy, global trade, and economic diplomacy.
David directed communications during the Asian Financial Crisis, a period in which the Bank played a critical role in sustaining U.S. trade with major Asian partners. He also oversaw the Bank’s congressional reauthorization at the highest level in its history and participated in official visits to 16 countries, engaging directly with heads of state and senior government leaders, including the presidents of Brazil and the Philippines, as well as the prime minister of Thailand.