Hilary Rosen

Hilary Rosen Profile

Hilary Rosen is one of the most sought after speakers and advisors in Washington, D.C. Thanks to her experience in political communications and leading high profile issue campaigns, Rosen is a proven expert in shaping the public debate and effectively navigating the intersection of communications, media and politics.

Rosen began her career working for politicians like New Jersey Governor, Brendan Byrne, and U.S. Senator, Dianne Feinstein. She served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for 17 years before retiring in June, 2003. She then became Managing Director of Brunswick Group’s Washing, D.C. office before joining SKDKnickerbocker in 2010. She currently specializes in strategic communications and public relations practice.

Rosen has consulted for social networks, media outlets, technology companies and entertainment sites. She has also served as a political director for The Huffington Post and as an on-air commentator for CNBC and MSNBC. She is currently an on-air political contributor for CNN and a contributor for The Washington Post. Her articles on business, politics and media regularly appear on CNN.com, Huffingtonpost.com, in The Wall Street Journal, Wired magazine, Billboard and Variety.

Hilary Rosen was recently profiled in Pennsylvania Avenue, Profiles in Backroom Power by John Harwood and Gerald Seib. She has appeared on numerous influential year-end power lists, including Entertainment Weekly’s “Annual Power List,” The Hollywood Reporter’s “Power 50 Women” and National Journal’s “Washington’s Powerful Insiders.” She was also named one of the “10 Ladies who Launch Entertainment Trends” by The New York Post.

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  Hilary Rosen is a Democratic strategist who serves as a political commentator for CNN, appearing across the network’s programming and special political coverage. Hilary is a well-known strategist who navigates the intersection of communications, media, and politics. She has been an advisor to the many federal candidates as well as the Democratic National Committee. She was the first Washington Editor and Political Director for The Huffington Post and prior to CNN was a contributor at MSNBC and CNBC. She is a regular political columnist for The Washington Post and her articles have also appeared in numerous publications nationwide and on CNN.com.

  Rosen is the former chairman and chief executive officer of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the trade group representing the U.S. sound recording industry where she served for 17 years before retiring in June 2003. At RIAA, Hilary was a force guiding the entertainment industry’s political efforts. Her name appeared regularly on influential year-end power lists including Entertainment Weekly’s “Annual Power List,” The Hollywood Reporter’s Power 50 Women, and National Journal’s “Washington’s Powerful Insiders.”

  Rosen is also a prominent voice for LGBT equality and was named by the National Journal as one of 25 most powerful LGBT players in Washington DC; one of Out magazine’s 100 list for her leadership of the Respect for Marriage Coalition, the media campaign which accompanied the historic same-sex marriage wins at the Supreme Court in June 2013. Her well-known legacy of activism on behalf of the LGBT community started in 1982 when Rosen joined the call for federal action on AIDS and has continued on multiple campaigns. She is profiled in a book Pennsylvania Avenue: Profiles in Backroom Power (2008) by John Harwood and Gerald Seib for her management of the successful 2004 campaign in Congress to defeat President George W. Bush’s proposed Constitutional Amendment banning same sex marriage.

  Rosen is a founder of Rock the Vote, the organization that promotes youth political involvement. She is also currently a managing director of SKDKnickerbocker, a leading public affairs and strategic communications firm with office in DC, NYC, and LA.

  Earlier in her career, Rosen worked for former Governor Brendan Byrne (D-NJ), US Senator Bill Bradley (D-NJ), and U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). She is a graduate of George Washington University.