Makini Nyanteh

Makini Nyanteh is an award-winning communications executive, transformational strategist, and trusted advisor with more than 25 years of experience leading enterprise communications, reputation management, organizational transformation, and public affairs for globally recognized organizations across the nonprofit, pharmaceutical, energy, consumer goods, financial services, and federal sectors.  

As Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), Nyanteh is a member of the executive leadership team and leads the organization’s integrated communications and public affairs strategy during a period of significant modernization, growth, and transformation. She oversees strategic communications, policy and government relations, executive communications, digital media, marketing, branding, internal communications, and corporate social responsibility for one of the world’s leading behavioral and social science research organizations.  

At AIR, Nyanteh led the rebranding of the organization’s 75-year-old identity and developed its first integrated enterprise communications strategy, significantly elevating AIR’s visibility, stakeholder engagement, and strategic positioning. Under her leadership, AIR’s digital reach and engagement expanded dramatically, including a 66% year-over-year increase in website traffic driven through data-informed storytelling, digital amplification, and narrative strategy. She also designed and launched Giving@AIR, the organization’s global humanitarian and charitable initiative, which has distributed more than $1 million in support since 2020.  

Known for building high-performing teams and guiding organizations through complex change, Nyanteh has extensive experience leading enterprise transformation communications, mergers and acquisitions, crisis response, executive visibility, and global employee engagement initiatives. Her career spans leadership roles at AstraZeneca/MedImmune, MeadWestvaco (now WestRock), Wachovia Securities (now Wells Fargo Advisors), Whirlpool Corporation, and Pepco Holdings (now Exelon). She also led global internal communications initiatives across the U.S., United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, helping shape organizational culture and employee engagement during a major post-merger integration period.  

Throughout her career, Nyanteh has been recognized for helping organizations navigate moments of disruption and reinvention. She has led communications surrounding acquisitions, divestitures, labor crises, large-scale transformation initiatives, severe weather emergencies, and enterprise-wide cultural change. Her leadership combines strategic rigor with emotional intelligence, enabling her to effectively counsel executives, align stakeholders, and communicate across differences, geographies, and organizational cultures.  

A respected thought partner to CEOs and boards, Nyanteh’s expertise includes strategic planning, reputation management, public affairs, policy engagement, change management, crisis communications, branding, marketing, ESG/corporate social responsibility, and enterprise storytelling. Her current work increasingly focuses on helping AIR strengthen its influence with policymakers, modernize its organizational culture, expand thought leadership, and position itself for growth in emerging sectors including health, energy, transportation, workforce development, defense, and artificial intelligence.  

Nyanteh earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park. She serves as Vice Chair of the Executive Committee of the Public Affairs Council and is President and Chair of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, Montgomery County Chapter. She is also a past board member of Washington Women in Public Relations and past president of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), Washington Metro Chapter.  

A passionate mentor, educator, and advocate for mission-driven leadership, Nyanteh enjoys adjunct teaching at the collegiate level and is a devoted mother of three.