Board Advisor | Trusted C-Suite Counselor on Strategy, Crisis/Risk Mitigation, Investor Confidence, and Enterprise Value Creation
Founder and CEO, The Waterman Group
AI 2030 Chief Executive in Residence – Communications Strategy, Member, Board of Advisors
Howard Waterman is an award-winning board advisor, founder, and C-suite counselor with three decades of experience in corporate communications, investor relations, crisis/risk mitigation, and enterprise strategy. He has led communications for multi-billion-dollar business units at Verizon, one of the world’s leading telecommunication providers, and Moody’s Corporation, a global leader in credit ratings, financial intelligence and risk assessment strategy, operating in complex, publicly traded and matrixed environments. In these roles, he partnered closely with executive leadership teams on strategic communications that shaped brand, market perception and long-term value creation.
Howard is recognized for translating complex business strategies into clear, compelling narratives that resonate with investors, analysts, regulators, customers, and employees. His work directly supports valuation, market confidence, and stakeholder alignment by ensuring that narrative, strategy, and execution move in lockstep.
A defining strength he brings to boards in-depth, hands-on crisis management and risk governance experience—capabilities underrepresented yet increasingly central to effective corporate oversight. At Verizon, he led national communications strategy for high‑stakes events including large‑scale network outages, subcontractor fatalities and union strikes under intense media, regulatory, and political scrutiny. Across these and other crises, he provided strategic guidance and disciplined messaging to manage risk, maintain stakeholder trust, and protect enterprise value in real time.
Following his corporate leadership career, Howard founded The Waterman Group, where he advises public and private companies, boards, and founders on strategic initiatives that shape market perception, support capital access, and drive shareholder value. He led communications and investor relations strategy for Airspan Networks’ nearly $1 billion IPO, partnering with the CEO, CFO, board chair and investment bankers, leading a roadshow featuring 40+ one‑on‑one CEO investor meetings with institutional portfolio managers. He ensured alignment across investor, analyst, and media engagement, demonstrating how disciplined narrative strategy underpins capital markets success.
Howard serves as a Board Advisor and Chief Executive in Residence for Communications Strategy at https://ai2030.org/, a global initiative focused on the responsible and ethical advancement of artificial intelligence. Named Advisor of the Year in January 2025, he counsels on positioning, governance, and the societal impact of AI, helping navigate the intersection of innovation, trust, and public perception. He is also Senior Communications Advisor and Fractional Chief Communications Officer at ScreenGeni.us, an AI‑driven B2B discovery and engagement platform, where he works with founders on business strategy, investor positioning, and market differentiation to support scalable growth.
As Interim Head of Communications and Marketing at publicly traded NextNav, Howard led strategic positioning and comms strategy around the company’s critical FCC spectrum proposal tied to national security. His work contributed to a doubling of the company’s stock price, underscoring how targeted narrative and stakeholder alignment can directly influence market outcomes.
Board‑Relevant Strengths and Focus Areas
· Crisis management and risk governance with proven success in high‑stakes, high‑visibility events
· Investor and market influence, aligning communications and IR to support valuation and capital access
· Strategic narrative development as a driver of business performance and competitive positioning
· Trusted CEO and C‑suite counsel during moments of scrutiny, transformation, uncertainty, and growth
· Employee communications that strengthen culture, connect people to strategy and purpose, and drives employee engagement foundational to organizational success
Howard anticipates challenges, identifies emerging opportunities, and develops/executes on forward‑looking strategies that deliver measurable outcomes. His ability to influence perception, inspire confidence, and guide decisionmakers through inflection points makes him a particularly valuable addition to boards navigating disruption, regulatory scrutiny, and evolving market dynamics.
Xiaochen Zhang, Founder and Chief Responsible AI Officer, AI2030
In 2024, Howie was recognized as the AI 2030 Advisor of the Year, an honor reflecting his tremendous contributions to the organization. Howie brought exceptional value to AI 2030 by applying his deep expertise in communication to develop a systematic and impactful strategy for raising awareness about responsible AI. Beyond his strategic insights, Howie also leveraged his extensive professional network to amplify AI 2030’s mission. Thanks to his efforts, several influential leaders from his network joined AI 2030 as critical contributors, significantly strengthening the organization’s capacity to drive meaningful change. Howie’s dedication, expertise, and ability to rally support have been instrumental in advancing AI 2030’s mission to mainstream responsible AI.
Abel Mayal, Senior Vice President, Sales/Europe, Airspan Networks Inc.
I had the pleasure of having Howard working for/with me in the crucial moments leading up to Airspan becoming a publicly traded company. Serving as the head of media relations and investor relations, he played a key role in taking Airspan public. He worked successfully and strategically with our senior executives/C-Suite including our CEO, CFO, and chairman, as well as with the investment banker teams. He was very strategic and highly proactive and always provided valuable insights. Howard also built strong relationships with our partners and stakeholders, which was instrumental in helping us grow our business. Howard is an excellent team player, always ready to help and share his knowledge and creative ideas with his colleagues and other team members. His dedication and passion for the work he did was remarkable. He always delivered results beyond expectations. I wholeheartedly recommend Howard for strategic communications consulting positions and to serve on boards where he can provide his expertise and counsel.
Additional Recommendations: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-waterman/
