Former Communications and Marketing Chief at Paramount Global to lead efforts to elevate the FGS Global brand and enhance its worldwide operations
New York, September 9, 2025 – FGS Global (“FGS”), the world's leading stakeholder strategy firm, today announced that communications and marketing executive Julia Phelps will join the company as its first Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Transformation. Most recently, Phelps served as Executive Vice President and Chief Communications and Corporate Marketing Officer of Paramount Global, the culmination of a nearly 20-year tenure at the media and entertainment giant.
In this role, Phelps will be responsible for expanding FGS’s leading market position worldwide, sharpening the firm’s marketing initiatives and brand identity to advance its strategic priorities and drive growth. She will also partner with leaders to foster cross-functional collaboration and ensure FGS’s network of clients, ranging from large publicly traded multinationals to private higher education institutions, have seamless access to the full breadth of the firm’s capabilities, expertise and client-first culture.
“Julia brings outstanding global leadership experience, deep expertise in transformation and a strong track record in building iconic brands and high-performing teams,” said Alex Geiser, CEO of FGS Global. “Her ability to lead change at scale and deliver impactful marketing strategies will be invaluable as we accelerate our growth and strengthen our reputation as the trusted advisor to companies and institutions who need to mobilize stakeholder support to succeed in their missions.”
During Phelps’ tenure at Paramount Global and predecessor Viacom, she played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s corporate messaging, branding and culture throughout a period of sweeping change in the media and entertainment landscape. As Executive Vice President and Chief Communications and Corporate Marketing Officer, she oversaw communications for the Viacom/CBS merger, the launch of Paramount+ and the rebrand to Paramount Global. Earlier, she served as Executive Vice President of Communications for Viacom International Media Networks, overseeing communications teams supporting 180 countries and territories worldwide.
“FGS Global is an incredible collective of knowledge, talent and expertise from across sectors and around the world, with an ambitious plan for growth, and I couldn’t be more excited to help the firm hone its brand proposition and unlock value,” said Phelps. “Having worked extensively with Alex, Winnie and their teams as a client, I’ve seen firsthand FGS’s ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments and drive results, and I look forward to helping clients better recognize and capitalize on the firm’s unique strengths.”
About FGS Global
FGS Global is the world’s leading stakeholder strategy firm, with approximately 1,400 professionals around the world advising more than 1,000 clients navigating critical issues and reputational challenges. FGS was formed to offer board-level and C-suite counsel in all aspects of stakeholder strategy — including corporate reputation, crisis management, and public affairs and is also the leading force in transaction and financial communications worldwide.
FGS offers seamless and integrated support with offices in the following locations: Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Beijing, Berlin, Boston, Brussels, Calgary, Chicago, Dubai, Dublin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Houston, Kingston, London, Los Angeles, Munich, Paris, Riyadh, San Francisco, Shanghai, Singapore, South Florida, The Hague, Tokyo, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington, D.C., and Zurich. The firm is headquartered in New York.
FGS is consistently ranked a Band 1 PR firm for Crisis & Risk Management and for Litigation Support by Chambers and Partners. For the second year, FGS was ranked #1 Global M&A PR firm by Deal Count and Value in 2024 by Mergermarket.