About Heidi

Heidi Barker is a senior-level Brand Communications expert and former journalist specializing in:
Corporate Reputation
Internal Communications
Employee Engagement
C-suite Support
External Communications

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Crisis Management
Media Relations

Heidi Barker is Senior Vice President/Director of Corporate Responsiblity Communications at PNC Bank. She provides strategic communications guidance related to PNC's work in diversity & inclusion, community development, philanthropy, and sustainability.

She brings to PNC her 30 years of experience as a senior corporate communications executive and broadcast journalist.

Prior to Amazon, Heidi served as Director of DEI Inclusive Experiences at Amazon, exploring the intersectionality of communications, learning & development, and events.  She previously led communications and DEI at John S. & James L. Knight Foundation in Miami, which funds journalism, arts, & community initiatives in the eight cities where the Knight brothers published newspapers. 

In early 2020, just before the Covid shutdown, Heidi joined Carnival Corporation & PLC as vice president of corporate communications, working with leaders across its nine global cruise lines. Heidi was instrumental in developing COVID crisis communications, including news of systemwide job actions, cost reductions, and culture/DEI initiatives.  

Prior to joining Carnival, she led communications for Cleveland Avenue LLC, a Chicago-based venture capital and consulting firm that accelerates innovative restaurant, food and beverage concepts and emerging brands. Heidi built the communications function at this start-up, including internal communications, mission-vision-values composition, social media presence, and external communications.

Heidi is the former Vice President of Global Communications for McDonald's Corporation, where she led the team in identifying bold ways to represent McDonald’s through traditional and social media by advancing McDonald’s reputation with influential journalists and stakeholders.

Before transitioning to brand communications, Heidi worked for 10 years as a Chicago-based Network Producer for NBC News, contributing stories for “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams”, “Today”, and MSNBC. She also frequently filled in as a Senior Producer for “NBC Nightly News” in New York.

Heidi has garnered two Emmy nominations, several Edward R. Murrow Awards and numerous journalism awards.

Heidi began as an anchor/reporter for the ABC affiliate in Decatur, Ill. She is a 1991 graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She is as an active member of Jack and Jill of America, and is honored to mentor many young people in the communications field.