Full-Time

Director Executive Communications

Posted on 5/7/2026

GuideWell Mutual

GuideWell Mutual

201-500 employees

Mutual holding company enabling integrated health

Compensation Overview

$126k - $204.8k/yr

+ Incentive/Commission

Jacksonville, FL, USA

In Person

Category
Content & Writing (2)
,
Requirements
  • 12+ years' progressive related experience to include executive communications, speechwriting, strategic communications, or a closely adjacent discipline — with demonstrated experience serving as a primary communications advisor and writer for a C-suite principal.
  • Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, English, Public Relations, or related field or additional related work experience
  • Proven track record as a CEO-level speechwriter and strategic communications advisor — able to write in an executive's authentic voice across every format, from keynote addresses to board presentations to op-eds.
  • Experience developing and executing proactive CEO thought leadership strategies — not just responding to communications requests but anticipating needs and identifying opportunities before they are articulated.
  • Understanding of the health care industry — sufficient to develop credible CEO positioning on health transformation, affordability, AI, and integrated care delivery without requiring constant subject matter briefing.
  • Demonstrated experience operating with high confidentiality and discretion in a C-suite communications environment.
  • Exceptional strategic instinct — hears a conversation or offhand observation and immediately sees the communications opportunity and the strategy to pursue it.
Responsibilities
  • Domain Ownership & Leadership: Serve as GuideWell's senior owner of CEO & Executive Communications — developing and maintaining a proactive, annually refreshed communications strategy that defines CEO/ELT external positioning, the audiences we should be reaching, the platforms right for their voices, and the narrative arc that connects individual communications moments into a coherent, building story.
  • Content / Program Development & Execution: Own the development and quality of all CEO communications — speechwriting, thought leadership content, board and ELT presentations, media preparation materials, LinkedIn content, op-eds, and enterprise leadership communications — ensuring every piece reflects the CEO's authentic voice and GuideWell's highest editorial standard.
  • CEO Communications Strategy & Positioning: Develop and maintain the CEO's thought leadership positioning — his authentic point of view on health transformation, affordability, AI-enabled care, and the not-for-profit model — ensuring it is distinctive, credible, and consistently expressed across every external platform.
  • Identify opportunities to position the CEO in the national conversations that matter most to GuideWell's mission and strategy — health care affordability, integrated care delivery, the role of not-for-profit health systems, AI and the future of health.
  • Monitor the national health care, policy, and business landscape continuously — tracking what peer CEOs are saying, where the industry conversation is moving, and where the CEO has an opportunity to lead rather than follow.
  • Speechwriting & Written Communications: In partnership with the Executive Communications Consultant, serve as speechwriter to the CEO — developing remarks, keynote addresses, panel talking points, congressional testimony support, and enterprise-wide leadership communications that are unmistakably his voice: clear, direct, mission-driven, and narratively coherent.
  • Write at the CEO level across every format — from a 45-minute keynote to a two-paragraph LinkedIn post to a board presentation.
  • Develop and maintain a CEO voice guide — the documented standard for how he sounds, what he emphasizes, what he avoids, and the narrative principles that govern every piece of content that goes out under his name.
  • Board & ELT Communications: Lead the development of CEO communications for the Board of Directors — board presentations, CEO updates, and the narrative framing of major organizational decisions.
  • Support Executive Leadership Team communications that carry the CEO's voice — ensuring consistency, narrative alignment, and editorial quality.
  • Develop communications for major enterprise moments — annual strategy presentations, transformation updates, organizational changes — ensuring the CEO's framing is clear, consistent, and grounded in the enterprise narrative.
  • Media Preparation & Thought Leadership Execution: Partner with the Sr. Director, Enterprise Communications (Media & Issues) to prepare the CEO for all national media engagements — developing media briefs, message guides, Q&A preparation, and post-interview follow-through.
  • Oversee the development, preparation for, and placement of executive thought leadership content — op-eds, bylined articles, published perspectives, speaking engagement prep, and industry commentary — in partnership with the Sr Communications Lead responsible for Executive Thought Leadership.
  • Cross-Functional Integration: Work in close daily partnership with the Sr. Director, Strategic Communications & Reputation to ensure the CEO/ELT's voices are always grounded in and advancing the enterprise narrative. Partner with the Sr. Director, Enterprise Communications (Media & Issues) on CEO media strategy and preparation, and coordinate with the SVP Chief of Staff on CEO schedule, priorities, and stakeholder relationships.
  • Stakeholder & Leader Support: Travel domestically with the CEO to major speaking engagements, industry conferences, policy forums, and stakeholder events — providing real-time communications counsel, on-site preparation support, and post-event follow-through. Serve as the on-the-ground communications presence at CEO events, ensuring the CEO is fully prepared on messaging and positioned to make the most of every interaction.
  • Measurement & Continuous Improvement: Define and track success metrics for Executive Communications — measuring the CEO/ELT's external visibility, narrative consistency, audience reach, and contribution to GuideWell's national reputation. Maintain a rolling CEO communications opportunity log and brief the VP Comms regularly on what is in development, what is ready to activate, and where the program needs investment or adjustment.
  • Proactive Intelligence & Ideation: Operate as the CEO's most attentive communications listener — present in strategy sessions and leadership forums with the explicit purpose of identifying the communications opportunities embedded in what the CEO is thinking, and bringing fully formed strategies back before they are requested. Convert signals into strategies: a story shared about a member encounter becomes a thought leadership piece; a reaction to a competitor's move becomes a positioning statement.
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience supporting a CEO or equivalent principal in a complex, mission-driven, or regulated organization — health care, health insurance, not-for-profit, or public sector.
  • Background in journalism, political communications, or a discipline demanding both exceptional writing speed and strategic judgment under pressure.
  • Experience developing CEO thought leadership in national health care, policy, or business media.
  • Familiarity with the Blue Cross Blue Shield system, managed care, or integrated health services landscape.
  • Experience traveling with and providing real-time communications support to a senior executive principal.

GuideWell Mutual Holding Corporation is a not-for-profit mutual holding company that acts as the parent to a family of companies focused on transforming health care. It builds an integrated ecosystem of health-related products and services, collaborates with partners, and advocates for better health to help people navigate the changing health landscape and enjoy a better experience. Its approach emphasizes improving efficiency and delivering high-quality care rather than pursuing profit. The goal is to shape the future of health by coordinating services and innovations that improve outcomes and access across the health system.

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Jacksonville, Florida

Founded

2011

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • New CEO Pieninck brings 8+ years leading CareFirst (3.5M lives) with proven cost management and equitable care focus.
  • National scale and Puerto Rico presence position GuideWell to capture integrated care and population health opportunities.
  • Strong culture and Great Place to Work certification enable talent retention and operational continuity post-transition.

What critics are saying

  • Pieninck's regional CareFirst experience may not translate to managing 36M-member national enterprise complexity.
  • Predecessor Pat Geraghty departed December 2025, removing 14-year institutional knowledge three months into Pieninck's tenure.
  • Triple-S Management (Puerto Rico subsidiary) faces fiscal control board oversight, hurricane costs, and population decline pressures.

What makes GuideWell Mutual unique

  • Serves 36 million customers across 50 states, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands with integrated Blue Cross Blue Shield network.
  • Mutual holding structure with policyholder ownership aligns incentives toward member value over shareholder returns.
  • Internally built generative AI tool (GuideWell Chat) reduces reliance on third-party vendors for employee productivity.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

401(k) Company Match

Paid Vacation

Unlimited Paid Time Off

Wellness Program

Company News

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