About
Sally Susman
Sally Susman is an advisor, advocate and author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Breaking Through: Communicating to Open Minds, Move Hearts and Change the World (Harvard Business Review Press).
Until 2026, Susman served as Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Pfizer, the global biopharmaceutical company. She directed Pfizer’s engagement with stakeholders across communications, corporate responsibility, global policy, government relations, patient advocacy and investor relations. Susman played a central role in Pfizer’s strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic, overseeing communications on the vaccine’s safety and efficacy. She continues to serve on the board of directors for The Pfizer Foundation.
Over the past decade, Susman has earned numerous accolades, including PR Week’s Best In-House Pro of the Past 20 Years; New York Women in Communications’ Matrix Award; and Forbes’ World’s Most Influential CMOs. A sought-after thought leader in the media, Susman regularly contributes to Time.
Before joining Pfizer in 2007, Susman was Executive Vice President of Global Communications at The Estée Lauder Companies, where she led corporate affairs strategy for the company and its 28 brands and served on the Executive Committee.
Prior to that, she held senior communications and government relations roles at American Express, managing international positioning and stakeholder engagement across Europe.
Earlier in her career, Susman served in government, focusing on international trade. She was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Commerce and Legislative Assistant for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.
Her nonprofit board service includes The New York Public Library and The Church, whose mission is to foster creativity on the East End and to honor the living history of Sag Harbor as a maker village. She sits on the advisory board of the International Rescue Committee, founded by Albert Einstein to help people affected by humanitarian crises recover and rebuild their lives. Susman is also a LinkedIn Top Voice, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and an Aspen Institute Act III Leadership and Legacy Laureate.
A Connecticut College alumna, Susman delivered the institution’s 2023 commencement address. She also studied at the London School of Economics.
Susman resides in New York City with her wife, Robin Canter.
Today, Susman serves on the boards of UL Solutions (NYSE: ULS), an applied safety science company; FGS Global, a strategic advisory communications consultancy; and Flutter Entertainment (NYSE: FLUT), an entertainment technology company. She is also a Senior Advisor for MTS Health Partners, a leading boutique investment bank for the healthcare industry.