Wills Consulting Associates is a leading retainer-based communications search and consulting firm serving the functional areas of corporate communications, public relations, public affairs, and related fields.

Jim Wills is WCA’s founder and president.  He brings to every engagement a record of more than 30 years of senior level communications search success—leveraging a pre-search career in corporate communications (McKesson), agency public relations (Burson-Marsteller and predecessors to Hill and Knowlton and Ogilvy Public Relations), and marketing (Booz Allen Hamilton, where he also received training as a management consultant).

We concentrate on strategically important engagements for a small group of clients.This focus guarantees Jim’s hands-on involvement in each search—supported by engagement-specific research and administrative teams.

Finally, we have proven success helping clients recruit senior executives from across the communications spectrum to address unique organizational and marketplace challenges. Some examples:

• Supporting the launch of a $13 billion personal computer company
• Heightening the marketplace profile of a leading global science and technology consulting firm
• Creating the corporate marketing and communications function for a fixed income trading platform in a climate of regulatory uncertainty
• Building a global communications capability for the pharmaceutical R&D arm of a multi-sector healthcare organization
• Repositioning a major urban medical complex in its local community and as a national player in healthcare delivery
• Rebranding a world-famous athletic shoe franchise
• Creating the financial communications support for the then-largest initial public offering in US business

Clients include FORTUNE 500 corporations and emerging growth companies, professional services firms, industry trade associations and not-for-profits, and public relations/public affairs consultancies throughout the United States and internationally.

Industry coverage includes pharmaceuticals (including biopharmaceuticals and biotechnology) and healthcare, financial services, consumer packaged goods, telecommunications, professional services, energy, media, and technology. Functional coverage includes:

• Corporate Marketing and Communications
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Crisis and Issues Management
• Executive Communications
• Integrated Communications

• Investor Relations
• Public Affairs
• Public Relations
• Reputation Management
• Social Media

So. . . Why WCA?

Clients benefit from the perspective of someone who brings a consulting approach to communications search; boasts broad and deep communications search success; worked in their profession “pre-search” and who has excelled at identifying and recruiting candidates with the demonstrated ability to link communications strategy and execution to organizational success.

Candidates know that the individual who brings them into the recruiting process understands their background from the perspective of a former “practitioner.” And how their skills and experience might help the client organization succeed.

The result: a personalized, consultative, and results-driven approach to communications search that historically has contributed to the success of clients and positioned candidates to grow their careers.

WCA is based in Stamford CT, a short train ride from New York City and convenient to major transportation hubs.