Payal Pathak

“Where there is a woman there is magic.”

Ntozake Shange

Payal is a Senior Vice President of Public Relations at Walker Sands, where she runs strategic communications programs for financial technology, healthcare, retail and supply chain companies. Payal manages a team of PR specialists, leads the agency’s Media Expert group focused exclusively on both established and emerging tier-1 media relations, and is head of the agency’s Social Media Department.

Since joining the company in 2013, Payal has helped both startup and Fortune 5 clients establish credibility, build brand awareness, expand into new markets and navigate major financial milestones.

Payal also developed the media training program offered at Walker Sands today, which provides in-depth interview coaching to executives. Her work has been recognized by both the Publicity Club of Chicago and Public Relations Society of America.

Payal is an honors graduate of the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, where she also completed her certification in public relations. Her background is in journalism as a reporter, desk editor and radio producer. She speaks four languages.

Specialties

• Reporting & measurement
• Media training
• Project management
• Product launches
• Bollywood music

Skills

• Media relations
• Technical writing
• Public speaking
• Google Analytics
• Color coding

Interests

• Traveling
• Indian cuisine
• Crime novels
• Hiking
• Red wine