top of page

Advocacy

As a global communications leader, I am passionate about using my experience to advocate for change in two key areas: to elevate the role of communications in organizations and to encourage women to take on international assignments.

Elevating the role of communications

We’re living in a perma-crisis environment of constant change, nonstop issues and growing pressure from all sides. And yet, I’m still surprised how many companies, even those with billions in revenue, don’t have a C-level communications leader at the table.
 

That’s a real risk.
 

Communications is about protecting trust, guiding leaders through complexity and helping companies show up the right way. I advocate for giving communications a seat at the table, not just because I do this work, but because I’ve seen what happens when it’s missing.

Business workers talking

More women international assignees

You can’t be what you can’t see.

​

I was the first person my company sent from the U.S. to Japan as an expat, and I was also a woman doing it without a roadmap. No mentors. No playbook. Just a lot of learning by doing.

​

Women make up only 14-20 percent of international assignees, which means many others are likely in the same position I was: qualified, but underrepresented and unsure how to take the leap.

​

Why does this matter? Because international experience isn’t just a résumé builder. It’s a proven pathway to the C-suite. U.S. News & World Report cites research showing 71 percent of Fortune 100 CEOs have spent at least two years in senior roles abroad.

​

That’s why I’m passionate about advocating for more women to take international assignments. I speak openly about my experiences and try to make the invisible visible so the next generation has something I didn’t, and that's a clear example that it’s possible.

​

Woman on the Stairs

©2025 Stephanie Roberts. All rights reserved.

bottom of page