WASHINGTON, February 26 | Breakwater Strategy, a leading strategic insights and communications consultancy, announced today that Jessica Schneider has joined the firm as a Vice President. Jessica brings more than two decades of experience as a broadcast journalist, attorney, and Washington legal and political reporter, significantly deepening the firm’s capabilities in media strategy, crisis communications, and legal affairs.
Commenting on the announcement, Breakwater Strategy CEO Arik Ben-Zvi said, “There are communications advisors who understand the media, and then there are people who have lived it — who have stood in front of a camera, broken major stories, and made split-second editorial decisions under enormous pressure. Jessica is the latter, and that is an extraordinarily rare thing. Her decade at CNN covering the Justice Department, the FBI, and two presidential administrations gives her invaluable credibility and insight, which will directly benefit our clients and team. We are thrilled to welcome her to Breakwater.”
Prior to joining Breakwater, Jessica served as CNN’s Justice Correspondent in Washington, D.C., where she covered the most consequential legal and political developments of the Trump and Biden administrations. In that role, she cultivated deep relationships with senior officials at the Justice Department, FBI, and members of Congress. At CNN, Jessica earned a reputation as one of the network’s most trusted on-air voices for breaking down complex legal and political developments in real time. Before CNN, she served as a legal reporter and fill-in anchor at WCBS-TV in New York, helping its 11pm broadcast become the most-watched late-night newscast in the country. Earlier in her career, Jessica practiced law as a litigation associate in New York City, specializing in product liability defense, employment law, and insurance coverage defense.
“It is an honor to join Breakwater’s incredibly talented and experienced team,” Jessica said. “Understanding and successfully navigating today’s rapidly evolving media and political landscapes has never been more important. After more than 20 years inside the newsroom and the courtroom, I am excited to work with our clients to tackle their most complex communications challenges and spotlight their stories.”
Jessica holds a Juris Doctor with honors from the University of Connecticut School of Law, where she led the Connecticut Moot Court Board and the Connecticut Journal of International Law. She earned degrees in Political Science and Journalism from Boston University, where was named Most Distinguished Journalism Student and selected as Commencement Speaker for the College of Communication. She is admitted to the practice of law in New York and New Jersey.
About Breakwater Strategy | Breakwater Strategy is an advisory partner on high-visibility, high-stakes public affairs, corporate reputation and capital markets issues for leading businesses, nonprofits and associations. The firm helps organizations navigate their most complex and consequential moments — minimizing risk and accelerating opportunity. Breakwater advises boards, C-Suite executives, and policy, communications and investor relations leaders through a powerful combination of foresight, insight, strategy and execution.
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