Hud Englehart

Hud Englehart has more than 40 years’ experience in public relations and public affairs strategy development as an agency advisor and head of communication for major corporations. He is a founding partner of Beacon Advisors and provides large and midsize businesses with corporate communication, investor relations and crisis management services.
In addition to his consulting work, Hud is an original investor in and retains a business development affiliation with Rasmussen Reports, LLC, an Internet publisher of public opinion surveys.
From 1996 to 2001, Hud was president and chief operating officer of KemperLesnik Communications in Chicago, a firm that offered integrated PR, public affairs, advertising and sports and event marketing. During his tenure, the firm operated major sports events involving the PGA Tour, NCAA basketball, and professional figure skating.
Hud spent a dozen years (1982-1988 and 1990-1996) with worldwide PR firm Hill and Knowlton, Inc., where he was on the U.S. executive committee and eventually served as managing director of the Chicago office. Clients included Navistar, Kraft General Foods, United Airlines, Gerber, Spiegel, Northern Trust Company and the Chicago Sun-Times. He also counseled companies in crisis working on incidents ranging from hostile takeovers, labor disputes, plant closings and industrial accidents to product recalls and contaminations, litigation and management malfeasance.
From 1988 to 1990, Hud was vice president of corporate communications for Lockheed Corporation (now Lockheed Martin), a leading U.S. defense contractor. An elected corporate officer, he was in charge of worldwide corporate communication including public affairs, financial and internal communication, advertising and media relations.
Hud began his communications career in Pittsburgh in 1969 at Mellon Bank, where he rose from staff writer to head of the Bank’s first corporate communications office. At the time, Mellon was the nation’s twelfth largest commercial bank.
Hud is an adjunct professor at Northwestern University’s Medill School, where he teaches crisis communication to master’s degree candidates. He has served on the corporate development advisory board of the University of Michigan Business School, and he is the former president of the Tony Award–winning Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago. He is a 1969 graduate of the University of Michigan.
In addition to his consulting work, Hud is an original investor in and retains a business development affiliation with Rasmussen Reports, LLC, an Internet publisher of public opinion surveys.
From 1996 to 2001, Hud was president and chief operating officer of KemperLesnik Communications in Chicago, a firm that offered integrated PR, public affairs, advertising and sports and event marketing. During his tenure, the firm operated major sports events involving the PGA Tour, NCAA basketball, and professional figure skating.
Hud spent a dozen years (1982-1988 and 1990-1996) with worldwide PR firm Hill and Knowlton, Inc., where he was on the U.S. executive committee and eventually served as managing director of the Chicago office. Clients included Navistar, Kraft General Foods, United Airlines, Gerber, Spiegel, Northern Trust Company and the Chicago Sun-Times. He also counseled companies in crisis working on incidents ranging from hostile takeovers, labor disputes, plant closings and industrial accidents to product recalls and contaminations, litigation and management malfeasance.
From 1988 to 1990, Hud was vice president of corporate communications for Lockheed Corporation (now Lockheed Martin), a leading U.S. defense contractor. An elected corporate officer, he was in charge of worldwide corporate communication including public affairs, financial and internal communication, advertising and media relations.
Hud began his communications career in Pittsburgh in 1969 at Mellon Bank, where he rose from staff writer to head of the Bank’s first corporate communications office. At the time, Mellon was the nation’s twelfth largest commercial bank.
Hud is an adjunct professor at Northwestern University’s Medill School, where he teaches crisis communication to master’s degree candidates. He has served on the corporate development advisory board of the University of Michigan Business School, and he is the former president of the Tony Award–winning Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago. He is a 1969 graduate of the University of Michigan.