Caryn Leahy is a Managing Director at Breakwater Strategy. A passionate, trusted client leader, Caryn is in a state of flow when helping clients creatively solve problems and navigate complex, challenging, and rapidly evolving situations. At Breakwater, she leads results-driven corporate reputation, public affairs, and issues campaigns for Fortune 500 companies and cutting-edge leaders in tech, food, healthcare and more. She leverages her background in broadcast journalism to help clients develop, sharpen, and amplify their voices with the power of earned media. 

Most recently, Caryn was a Vice President at Ketchum where she oversaw comprehensive communications programs, including strategic planning, earned media, digital and third-party partnership strategies to move key stakeholders and the general public. In this role, she managed multimillion-dollar budgets and acted as a rapid-response public affairs, issues and crisis counselor for clients across all 14 Ketchum sectors in the agency’s global network. 

Previously, Caryn served as Senior Director at Rational 360, a full-service public affairs firm, and was an associate producer for Middle East Broadcasting Networks. Caryn received her Master of International Affairs from Columbia University and her Bachelor of Arts in political science from Bates College. 

When Caryn isn’t supporting her clients through a crisis or challenge, she’s probably spending time with friends and family or running on one of the DMV’s finest trails. She lives in Washington, DC, with her husband Kevin and son Julian. 

Ben is an Associate at Breakwater Strategy, where he supports client teams in developing strategic communications and media recommendations. Based out of Washington D.C., he is a strategic communications professional with strong experience in research, writing, and media outreach.

Prior to joining Breakwater, Ben worked as an Associate The Fratelli Group, where he helped to develop and implement communications strategies for a variety of clients, including prominent business coalitions, trade groups, and a climate finance nonprofit. He conducted in-depth policy and sector research, coordinated press outreach and interview opportunities, and assisted with social media strategy, monitoring, and content creation.

Ben graduated from Carleton College, where he majored in political science and international relations with a focus in leadership, peace, and security. During his time at Carleton, he was a member of the varsity football team, served as the editor of a satire publication, and studied abroad at the London School of Economics and Sevilla, Spain. His undergraduate thesis was an analysis of the intersection of sport, nationalism, and racism in Europe through a qualitative study about racism and foreign-born players in the English Premier League.

Hailing from Portland, Maine, Ben can be found loudly cheering for the Patriots and other New England sports teams, reviewing movies on Letterboxd, and cooking in his free time.

Kate is a Senior Associate at Breakwater Strategy based in Washington, D.C. She works closely with the team to assist in all client needs, including drafting messaging, coordinating communications campaigns, researching client-specific policy and media opportunities, and providing additional support as needed.

Prior to Breakwater, Kate worked at Allison+Partners on the Global Reputation Risk + Public Affairs team. In this role she specialized in supporting clients through proactive and reactive crisis and reputation management, in addition to designing and executing national, state, and local level public affairs campaigns. Her work included conducting media landscape monitoring and analysis, background research, message development, and proactive and reactive media outreach. She brings a breadth of experience working for some of the biggest brands across various industries, including consumer tech, commercial real estate, health and health tech, nonprofit and government agencies, defense, aerospace and more.

Kate graduated with honors from East Carolina University with Bachelor of Science in Communication, concentrating in public relations and media studies. She is currently working towards a Master of Science in Strategic Communication from Columbia University. In her free time, she can typically be found exploring new restaurants in DC, cheering on the Capitals, or visiting parks around the DMV with her dog Nox.

Bryn is an Associate on the Research and Insights team, where she supports quantitative and qualitative research and analysis that powers client solutions.

Prior to joining Breakwater, Bryn served as a Research Associate in the Executive Office of the President, where she vetted individuals and organizations seeking presidential engagement, tracked global media trends, and fact-checked high-level communications materials. Working alongside policy, national security, and communications professionals, she developed expertise in delivering precise messaging and identifying strategic opportunities on complex policy matters.

Bryn graduated summa cum laude from Colgate University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She was awarded a competitive research fellowship from the Lampert Institute for Civic and Global Affairs and spent time as a visiting student in the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Cambridge. Her senior thesis examined the role of mediator states like the US in peace settlements in Sudan and South Sudan.

Research is at the heart of Bryn’s work. She has a passion for uncovering insights that drive informed decision-making and crafting compelling narratives based on rigorous analysis.

A Pittsburgh native and long-suffering Pirates fan now based in D.C., Bryn enjoys reading, hiking, and exploring local flea markets and vintage shops in her free time.

As a Director at Breakwater Strategy, Lydie works with a range of clients across industries including tech, financial services, education, media and entertainment on strategic communications challenges and initiatives. 

Since 2019, Lydie has worked on Breakwater Strategy’s strategic communications accounts, supporting clients in crisis and reputation management, corporate and executive communications, and media campaigns. Her work includes conducting media landscape analysis, background research, content analysis, message development and proactive media outreach. As just the second employee at Breakwater, she plays a central role both in overseeing the firm’s day-to-day operations and in safeguarding its culture. 

Prior to Breakwater, Lydie worked as a Strategic Communications Associate at FGS Global (legacy Glover Park Group) where she supported client teams with background research, media monitoring and client deliverables. 

Originally from North Carolina and currently based out of Raleigh, Lydie is a graduate from UNC Chapel Hill with a bachelor’s degree in Media and Journalism and a minor in Hispanic Studies. She can typically be found reading the latest book between commercial breaks of UNC Basketball games or walking around the triangle with her dog Mack. 

Marilyn Olson draws upon her robust background in corporate, internal, and crisis communications, as well as change management and M&A, to help clients educate, engage, and inspire their most critical audiences. She has extensive experience advising companies through the process of transforming their organization and audiences’ perceptions, including post-M&A integrations, complex financial transactions, and pivotal cultural change.

In both in-house and consulting roles, Marilyn has deep experience working with major global technology and financial services companies, including Dell Technologies, Visa Inc., and The Charles Schwab Corporation. She has led complex, integrated campaigns reaching multiple audiences across various industry sectors. She has driven successful internal communications programs and high-profile events, reinforcing her ability to influence corporate culture and enhance employee engagement.

A graduate of UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts in History, Marilyn is an award-winning communicator recognized by the International Association of Business Communicators and co-founded a nonprofit focused on community development. She lives in her native San Diego with her husband, three children, and a very loved dog.

Taylor Pearson is a Director at Breakwater Strategy. She brings a wealth of experience in crisis communications, litigation communications, corporate communications, and broadcast media. Most recently, Taylor was a Director at Trident DMG where she led communications campaigns ranging from a local charter school to one of the most read newspapers in the world.

Before Trident, Taylor was a booking producer at CBS News and a production assistant at MSNBC. During her tenure, she field produced the 2021 March on Washington, the 2020 State of the Union, and the 2020 South Carolina primary, among other historic events. Taylor also has experience in the policymaking world, including internships with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars’ Africa Program and the late Congressman Elijah E. Cummings.

Taylor received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs (previously known as the “Woodrow Wilson School”), with a minor in African American Studies. There, she earned accolades for her work with the Association of Black Women and the Latinos y Amigos student groups as well as for her original reporting on racial discrepancies in time off taken from the university. She is likewise proud of a musical she helped write using archival documents from the Princeton & Slavery Project.

Taylor spent a semester in Paris studying French history, politics, media, and art at L’Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris (colloquially referred to as “Sciences Po”). While abroad, she also independently researched and proposed policy solutions to the Greek economic crisis with a Princeton task force.

Taylor has lived in various states but feels the most at home in the Princeton, NJ, area where she went to boarding school and college. She currently resides in the Northwest Corridor of Washington, D.C., and, in her free time, you can find her at Busboys & Poets’ Open Mic Night or at the DuPont Circle Farmer’s Market.

As a Senior Associate, Haley supports the Breakwater team in identifying and executing client goals. She supports senior staff on research needs, media analysis, content drafting, and administrative tasks.  

Haley began her time at Breakwater as a communications and research intern before joining the team permanently as an associate. Prior to that, she interned for Kantar, a leading data, insights, and consulting company. She additionally took part in tech giant Watch Mojo’s media and finance internship.  

Haley graduated from Yale University with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. She was granted distinction in the major by the department due to her grade point average and senior thesis. Her passion for politics and women’s rights can be seen through her thesis entitled Sexual Harassment on The Hill: How Partisanship and Polarization Condition Reactions to Sexual Impropriety in Congress. At Yale, she worked for the Office of Development and Alumni Fund. Her work as an Alumni Fund student liaison led her to be selected as the Chair for the Class of 2022. Additionally, Haley co-founded a Students Demand Action chapter at her university to support gun control advocacy work. She also served on the board of the Yale Women’s Leadership Initiative. Throughout her college experience she was heavily involved in other service initiatives and her sorority.  

Born and raised in Washington D.C., Haley found interest in politics before many other age-appropriate things. When she is not working, she is probably making a new friend out of a local cafe barista or Uber driver.  

Reagan Putnam is a Senior Associate at Breakwater Strategy within the Capital Markets practice, based in Washington D.C. She provides ongoing support for the team’s core research functions and helps develop actionable recommendations for stakeholders.

With a background in consulting and financial markets, Reagan has experience helping clients navigate the challenging intersection between strategy, finance, and market dynamics to achieve their goals and drive sustainable growth.

She joined Breakwater from the Palladium Group, which focused on impact investing projects for developing regions in southern Asia and coastal Africa, with a concentration on healthcare infrastructure and improving access to education for women and girls. Previously, Reagan also acted as an investment fellow with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the USDA, where she worked to advise clients on sustainable investment opportunities in emerging markets.

Reagan majored in International Affairs and Business (Finance) at the George Washington University in Washington, DC. She is a member of Kappa Delta and works with their national philanthropies. She also volunteers her time with the Junior League. In her free time, Reagan enjoys staying active through fitness and tennis, indulging her passion for writing, learning languages, and running her book club.

Expertise:

• Market Research
• Strategic Communications

Nick leads the Research & Insights team, developing, executing, and analyzing public opinion research to inform Breakwater’s strategic guidance. He crafts integrated research programs that leverage quantitative, qualitative, and digital methodologies to help navigate complex challenges and provide actionable findings. Nick advises wide-ranging strategy initiatives and public affairs campaigns for companies and trade associations across industries. 

Prior to joining Breakwater Strategy, Nick worked for several years at PSB Insights, a global research and analytics consultancy and member of the BCW Group. During his time at PSB, Nick managed expansive research engagements including dynamic crisis responses, global mixed-methodology studies, and stakeholder communications efforts for blue-chip corporations, leading non-profits, and prominent government agencies. Nick’s introduction to strategic communications research came as an intern at the Glover Park Group, where he learned to appreciate the value of learning what people think and why. 

Nick graduated from Colby College, with distinction in Government and Economics. Nick is a Beltway native. He was born in Glover Park, DC, grew up in Bethesda, MD, and is a long-suffering D.C. sports fan. When he’s not working, he’s probably checking the latest election polling on RealClearPolitics, or listening to his favorite podcasts from the Ringer.