Neil Nowlin
Executive Vice President and General Manager

Neil has more than 15 years of experience in public affairs, labor relations and crisis communications. His background in politics, particularly his ability to educate and influence key audiences, has been a valuable asset to accomplishing his clients’ goals.

At Weber Shandwick, Neil specializes in helping clients successfully protect and preserve public confidence and corporate reputations during times of crisis and uncertainty. He has advised numerous Fortune 500 clients on issues related to labor relations and union organizing campaigns, plant closures, industrial accidents, customer and employee fatalities, regulatory scrutiny, product recalls and financial irregularities. In addition to helping companies recover from unforeseen events or accidents, Neil is a key member of agency’s crisis team and regularly works with clients to assess potential risks and develop comprehensive plans to contain any subsequent damage. An experienced media trainer and speechwriter, Neil has also prepared senior executives for high profile interviews, speeches, depositions and Congressional testimony.

Neil has led a number of award-winning communications projects including “Just the Facts: AANegotiations.com” which was named 2009 Employee Communications Campaign of the Year by PRWeek. The Web site was designed to increase the transparency of American Airlines’ approach to labor negotiations, explain the carrier’s competitive position to all stakeholders and help influence the direction and outcome of the contract bargaining process.

Prior to joining Weber Shandwick, Neil worked in Burson-Marsteller’s public affairs practice, where he was an integral part of a communications team that helped American Airlines reach new labor agreements with its pilots and narrowly avoid bankruptcy in April 2003. He also helped manage the investor relations division of oil marketer EOTT Energy, as its parent company Enron collapsed in late 2002.

Neil began his career in politics, serving former Governor George W. Bush for more than five years in Austin. He coordinated the work of legislators, trade groups, business associations, community-based organizations and ancillary campaigns. In 1996, former Governor Bush selected Neil to lead the Texans for Dole/Kemp campaign, naming him state executive director. Neil is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in government.