Crowell Global Advisors, Washington, District of Columbia, United States: Geralyn Ritter, President and CEO

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In just one year, Geralyn Ritter has reinvigorated and transformed Crowell Global Advisors (CGA), a forty-year-old public policy firm based in Washington, DC, into a powerhouse in global policy and government affairs consulting. As CEO and President, Ritter has motivated her team of policy advisors, former government officials, and executives from around the world to be laser-focused on helping Fortune 100 clients navigate rapidly evolving geopolitical risks, advance global policy goals, and drive positive business outcomes.

When Ritter took the reins at CGA in early 2024, she had three key priorities to position the firm for the future:

1. Defining a bold strategic vision to realign CGA with clients’ most critical needs in an increasingly complex policy landscape.
2. Executing a strategic brand refresh to symbolize a new era for the firm, signaling its expanded global reach and modernized capabilities.
3. Recruiting world-class leadership and policy specialists with deep expertise in healthcare, emerging technologies, and supply chain management.

This ambitious transformation was made possible by Ritter’s broad policy expertise, deep understanding of the healthcare, technology, and trade industries, and strong leadership in high-stakes environments. With the trust and confidence of CGA’s board, she led the firm into a new era of strategic influence and forged multiple high-profile alliances to expand CGA’s geographic footprint and policy depth. Under her leadership, CGA now spans Washington, Singapore, Hong Kong, and London, a testament to its growing global influence.

A Proven Track Record of Transformation

Ritter is no stranger to leading transformative change. Before CGA, she was a founding executive leader at Organon, a global women’s health company spun out from Merck in 2021. As a key architect of Organon’s vision, she led efforts to define the company’s brand and mission, drive investor engagement, and establish a strong ESG strategy. She was also instrumental in recruiting Organon’s first Board of Directors, recognized as the most gender-diverse board in the S&P 500.

Under her leadership, Organon earned recognition as one of Fortune Magazine’s Top Companies That Will Change the World and was named a Most Responsible Company and Best Place to Work. Her ability to align business strategy with purpose-driven leadership was evident in Organon’s global impact, particularly in expanding access to contraception for vulnerable populations.

Resilience, Leadership, and Purpose-Driven Impact

Ritter’s leadership philosophy is deeply influenced by her personal journey of resilience. In 2015, an Amtrak derailment left her critically injured, requiring years of surgeries and rehabilitation. She transformed this experience into a mission to improve trauma care, advocate for resilience, and amplify the patient voice in healthcare policymaking.

Her book, Bone by Bone: A Memoir of Trauma and Healing, published in 2022, has inspired countless survivors. She donates all proceeds to the American Trauma Society and the Trauma Survivors Network and frequently speaks on the importance of resilience, patient-centered care, and servant leadership. This pivotal experience has shaped her management approach and reinforced her commitment to building organizations with purpose.

Guiding CGA to Global Influence

At CGA, Ritter has cultivated a high-performing, globally connected team that operates at the intersection of policy, business, and geopolitics. She has built a supportive, purpose-driven culture, instituted new professional development programs, and ensured junior staff have meaningful growth opportunities. Remarkably, there have been zero regrettable staff departures under her leadership.

Amidst current geopolitical uncertainty, Ritter and her team are well positioned to help multinational businesses navigate volatile policy and regulatory environments. CGA’s advisors work closely with pharmaceutical leaders, global economies, and policymakers to stay ahead of rapid changes in trade, healthcare, and digital policy.

Ritter’s decisive yet empathetic leadership style has propelled CGA to the next level. She has attracted top-tier talent from both government and the private sector, ensuring that clients receive unparalleled expertise during a time of unprecedented global uncertainty.

Through vision, resilience, and strategic foresight, Geralyn Ritter is redefining what it means to be a trusted global policy partner in the 21st century.

• Named CEO of Crowell Global Advisors in 2024 to lead the organization through a transformative shift with a team of policy advisors, former government officials, and executives from around the world to help Fortune 100 clients.
• Spearheaded CGA’s rebrand and built client demand that resulted in a doubling of staff in one year.
• Under Ritter’s leadership, CGA has negotiated strategic alliances in Washington, Latin America and Southeast Asia.
• Known as a savvy financial manager, Ritter is proud that CGA hit all of its revenue and profitability goals in 2024, and the company is poised for explosive growth in 2025.
• As a founding executive team member of Organon, a global women’s health company, Ritter created the new company’s brand, cultural values, mission and ESG and philanthropy strategy. Under her leadership, Organon launched Her Plan is Her Power, a multimillion-dollar initiative to expand access to contraception to vulnerable women.
• She also led the effort to recruit the Organon’s Board of Directors, which was recognized as the most gender-diverse board in the S&P 500.
• Named as one of McKensey & Co.’s list of World’s Most Influential Women in 2023 and 2024.
• Ritter was a keynote speaker at the American College of Surgeons annual meeting in 2024, sharing her story with thousands of trauma surgeons and nurses. Her story has also been featured on Inside Edition, ABC News, and the Christian Broadcast Network, as well as in major publications including Newsweek and the Huffington Post and dozens of national podcasts.
• In 2024, Ritter was elected to the Board of Directors of the American Trauma Society. She is also on the Duke University Board of Directors for the Sanford School of Public Policy.