AT&T has hired Krista Pilot as SVP of corporate communications, its top comms position, effective on January 30.
Pilot is set to replace K.C. Kavanagh, who exited the telecommunications company in August to join Visa as chief communications officer. AT&T global marketing officer Lori Lee, to whom Pilot will report, temporarily oversaw the company’s comms efforts after Kavanagh’s departure.
Pilot will oversee the corporate comms team, managing PR, media relations and social media, as well as financial and employee communication.
Pilot said that, after 11 years at PepsiCo, she’s excited to branch out into a new industry, helping to make consumers aware of AT&T’s story and narrative.
Pilot said she most recently served as PepsiCo’s interim global head of comms, filling in for Jon Banner after he joined McDonald’s as EVP and global chief impact officer in August. She led external comms globally, focusing on media relations, content creation and social media engagement, according to an AT&T internal memo seen by PRWeek.
While PepsiCo continues to search for Banner’s successor, Monica Bauer, VP of corporate affairs, will assume the interim global head of comms position, Pilot said. Bauer could not be immediately reached to comment on her new role.
Prior to PepsiCo, Pilot was an EVP at DKC PR. She has also worked at United Technologies.
AT&T reported consolidated revenue of $30 billion in Q3 2022, down 4.1% from the prior-year period, according to a company statement. Operating income was $6 billion, down from $6.2 billion in Q3 2021.
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