Communicators spotlight: Nicole Leverich of LinkedIn
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Nicole Leverich. Photo: Courtesy of Nicole Leverich
Nicole Leverich, chief communications officer at LinkedIn, has had a career that spans agency life to some of Silicon Valley's biggest companies and fastest-growing startups.
Why it matters: Navigating that range has shaped how Leverich thinks about leadership, communications and career growth.
- "The environments couldn't be more different — big companies give you a lane, while startups hand you a problem and say, 'Good luck,'" she said.
The path here: "Curiosity and storytelling have always guided my career."
- She started as an assistant account executive at Fleishman-Hillard in San Francisco.
- Leverich has since worked for Google, Yahoo, AdMob and Mixpanel.
Tough lesson: Don't fall in love with the idea.
- "Early in my career, I spent two months developing a Yahoo! Photos campaign that I thought was brilliant," she said. "It generated exactly zero media coverage. I learned it's the impact that matters."
Trendspotting: Leverich says she's monitoring the shrinking gap between employee and external comms.
- "Employees often hear news at the same time as the public," she said. "Communicators need to rethink how we build and maintain trust when 'employees first' isn't always possible."
Watch list: "Taboo" with Tom Hardy.
- "Set in London in 1814, it leans into the harsh grit of the time, no sugarcoating of the place or people and tells the fictional story of one man versus the East India Trading Company, the OG corporate monopoly," Leverich says.
Morning ritual: "Coffee first. Always."
- "Then 30 minutes of news reading before my three teenage daughters (Sierra, Lily and Mica) head out to school. The whirlwind 5-10 minutes together every morning is chaos and one of my favorite parts of the day."
Best advice you've received? "The job interview starts before you enter the building."
- "Treat everyone you encounter, from the receptionist to the hiring manager, the way you'd like to be treated. A career advisor at the University of Oregon told me that when I was a senior in college, and I've never forgotten it."
