Jennifer focuses on supporting and elevating Breakwater’s capital markets strategy, bringing a broad background across strategy, operations, product, marketing, research, and communications.

Her career spans Fortune 100 companies in healthcare and financial services, where she has led through turnarounds, accelerated business transformation, driven market entry, and pivoted strategy to unlock growth in existing markets. She has also built new strategic partnerships and supported the integration of acquisitions.

Jennifer’s work consistently connects strategic positioning to operational execution, from go-to-market design and competitive intelligence to change management and internal communications.

Jennifer holds a B.A. in Political Science from Wellesley College, having spent her junior year at Trinity College Dublin. She is active in the Hartford Wellesley Club, serves on the board of the Friends of Simsbury Crew, and chaired the FCC Simsbury Stewardship Committee, where she led the organization’s annual fundraising campaign. She will be joining the board of the NIRI Virtual Chapter.

Expertise:

• Market Research & Competitive Intelligence
• Business Strategy
• Strategic Marketing & Sales Enablement
• Internal Communications & Employee Engagement
• Change Management
• Program Management

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 an 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 an 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. Based in New York City  — but spends most of her time trying to get out of the city and up to her family’s house in New Hampshire. 

Reagan Putnam is an Associate Director 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

As an Associate Director at Breakwater Strategy, Bobby helps staff and clients develop and execute communications strategies and campaigns. Throughout his career, he has helped corporations, nonprofits, and sports organizations define their message and deliver it to key audiences to advance their business goals and missions.

Prior to joining Breakwater, Bobby was a Director at Ari Fleischer Communications, a boutique corporate communications and reputation management firm led by former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer. There, he partnered with Fortune 500 companies and CEOs, nonprofits, advocacy groups, and sports organizations on media relations, research, press materials, media training, and communications strategy. Additionally, Bobby spent the fall of 2025 as a Defensive Analyst with the University of California, Berkeley football team.

Bobby graduated from Middlebury College with a Bachelor’s degree in American Studies and was a member of the football team.

Bobby is proudly from Middlebury, Vermont, and outside of work enjoys watching sports, playing golf, skiing, and exploring the Bay Area as a lifelong New Englander.

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. 

Jessica Schneider is a Vice President at Breakwater Strategy, where she draws on more than two decades of experience as a television correspondent and attorney to guide clients through fast-moving and complex communications challenges. Jessica’s unique expertise in the media and legal affairs gives Fortune 500 companies and executives a powerful partner in public affairs, corporate reputation and crisis situations.

Prior to joining Breakwater, Jessica was CNN’s Justice Correspondent in Washington, D.C., where she covered the most consequential legal and political developments of the Trump and Biden administrations, and earned a reputation as one of the network’s most trusted on-air voices breaking down complex issues in real time. Before joining CNN, Jessica was a television reporter in New York City and Connecticut.  Earlier in her career, Jessica practiced law in New York, specializing in product liability and insurance coverage defense.

Jessica is a proud graduate of Boston University where she earned degrees in Journalism and Political Science.  She also graduated with honors from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

A native of Connecticut, Jessica is now happy to call Washington, D.C. home where she most enjoys spending time with her husband Adam, and their two sons Lincoln and Carter. While most of her spare time is spent chasing her two young boys around, Jessica loves to travel the globe — with regular trips to family spots in the Finger Lakes and Lake Michigan, run and practice yoga, and search for the best pizza the DC area has to offer (while still longing for the plethora of pizza options in her home state!)

Peyton Shelburne is an Associate Director on the Capital Markets team at Breakwater Strategy. She supports the team’s research initiatives by developing actionable insights and tailored recommendations to stakeholders.

Peyton’s background includes marketing and content strategy roles at data-driven companies. Before joining Breakwater, she held a marketing position at Akkio, an AI-powered data platform for advertising agencies, where she contributed to ABM strategies and campaign development. Prior to that, she spent over three years at Morning Consult, a global data intelligence company, as part of the content strategy and operations team. In her role, she authored original content, streamlined internal processes, and analyzed survey data to update trend tracker webpages across various sectors, strengthening the company’s insights-driven offerings.

Peyton graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University with a B.A. in linguistics and a minor in Chinese.

Outside of work, Peyton enjoys following and playing tennis. She also loves volleyball, curating music playlists, and exploring hiking trails.

Expertise:

• Market Research
• Marketing

Annie Stephens is an Associate at Breakwater Strategy, based in Washington, D.C., where she leads marketing strategy and execution for the Capital Markets team, helping strengthen the Breakwater Capital Markets global brand across the full range of marketing activities.

Prior to Breakwater, Annie built digital marketing and communications experience at the National Communication Association, where she led marketing for the organization’s annual convention and webinar programming. She previously supported brand development for the University of Virginia’s Media Studies Department, using data-driven insights and stakeholder engagement to enhance its positioning.

Annie earned a B.A. in Media Studies with distinction and a minor in Sociology from the University of Virginia in 2024. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, fitness, and exploring new restaurants in the D.C. area.

Karianna works with senior staff to create strategic communications campaigns and develop impactful messaging materials. Her main responsibilities include planning and producing social content, tracking and analyzing media, sharing insights from qualitative research, and creating written client deliverables. She has experience and knowledge of a wide array of industries including entertainment, tech, financial services, and non-profit. 

Prior to joining Breakwater, Karianna was an Education Relations Intern for C-SPAN where she created content for their education website and helped generate press coverage for C-SPAN’s 2019 StudentCam Competition. She also drafted blog post articles as a Community Contributor for SHE Media and managed the daily operations as an intern for DREAM Charter High School in East Harlem. 

Karianna graduated from Hamilton College with a bachelor’s degree in Literature and a minor in Mathematics as a HEOP Scholar. While at Hamilton, Karianna worked as a student assistant for Nesbitt-Johnston Writing Center, participated in Hamilton’s Washington D.C. program, and was an active leader of La Vanguardia, Hamilton’s Latinx cultural club.   

Karianna was born and raised in the Bronx, so of course she is a die-hard Yankees fan. Growing up she tried to memorize every train and bus route that ran through the Bronx so that she could traverse the whole borough with ease. She loves how the Bronx is full of diverse hard-working people. 

Maggie Tween is an Senior Associate at Breakwater Strategy on the Capital Markets team, based in New York. In her role, she supports senior staff on market research and client interaction. With prior internship experience in financial research, Maggie’s professional foundation lies at the intersection of global markets and client advisory.

Maggie graduated from Boston College as an Economics major, where she was involved in volunteer groups, business organizations, and club sports. With minors in Finance and English, she developed her passions for both business and writing during her time at BC.

Outside of work, Maggie can be found at the gym or on a run, and cheering on the Mets in the summer and the Rangers in the winter.