Jon Austin

Jon Austin is the senior partner of J Austin & Associates, a communications consultancy founded in 2006 with expertise in corporate reputation, media relations, issue management, crisis communications planning and response, internal communications, brand management, government/public affairs and labor relations. From 2001 to 2008, Austin also was a member of Fleishman-Hillard’s Minneapolis/St. Paul office where he managed accounts, helped lead new business efforts and served as a corporate resource for media training, media relations and senior counsel. From 1991 to 2001, Austin served as the principal spokesman for Northwest Airlines, the fourth-largest airline in the world. Since leaving Northwest, Austin has continued to work extensively in the field and has consulted with more than a dozen airline and aviation industry clients.

Since 2001, Austin has advised more than 400 companies on situations ranging from product introductions to corporate and brand positioning, speechwriting, presentation and speaker training, media relations, internal communications as well as crisis and issue management. His client list includes companies ranging from Fortune 500 members to small and mid-sized companies in the manufacturing, telecommunications, technology, medical devices, healthcare, financial services, retailing and transportation industries.

Austin also has worked in politics, government and the software industry. He was the director of product development for General Information, a software and data publisher based in the Seattle area, and worked on a number of political campaigns at the state and federal levels. In the 1980s, Austin held a variety of positions in the office of Senator Thomas F. Eagelton of Missouri.