Devon Spurgeon

Devon Spurgeon co-founded Sheridan Strategies in January 2016. Prior to the formation of Sheridan Strategies, she started her own communications firm within MDC Partners, the 8th largest advertising holding company in the world, where she also served as an executive vice president. As a public relations strategist, Devon has been re-inventing the way “traditional” communications has evolved using networks and technology. Devon has extensive experience in corporate positioning, financial and crisis communications, as well as media relations. A trusted advisor, she quietly serves as communications counsel to several high-profile executives, including Fortune 500 CEO’s and CFO’s, on wide range of corporate and executive leadership issues including stakeholder engagement and shareholder activism. She also has extensive experience in executive speechwriting and in developing corporate thought leadership programs. Prior to joining MDC, Devon was the Executive Vice President for Global Strategy at Hill + Knowlton Strategies. Her client roster included more than a dozen Fortune 500 companies. Before that, she was the director of communications at Citadel LLC, a large multi-strategy hedge fund and asset manager with more than $23 billion of assets under management, where she led the firm's external communications strategy. Devon began her career in journalism as an intern at The Washington Post. She later joined The Wall Street Journal as a staff writer, where she covered several different industries, including grocery stores, fast food and Berkshire Hathaway. During her time at the WSJ, she was voted one of the 30 best financial journalists under age 30 by The Journal of Financial Reporting. Thereafter, Devon was an attorney with Sidley Austin LLP in their Corporate and Securities practice group, where she focused on mergers and acquisitions. She is licensed to practice law in Illinois. Devon is a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Economic Club of Chicago. She holds a B.A. in history from the University of Chicago and a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law. She is a 2015 Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. She also has a reoccurring non-speaking role on Better Call Saul, the Emmy-nominated AMC television show. Additionally, Devon is a part of the Brain Trust at Chicago Ideas Week, a community of local influencers selected to help shape the program. Devon is a 2015 Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.