Global Chairman, Burson Cohn & Wolf

Don Baer is Global Chairman of BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe), one of the world’s leading strategic communications firms. From 2012 – 18, he was Worldwide Chair and CEO of its predecessor firm Burson-Marsteller and a member of the firm’s senior leadership since 2008. He has led client engagements in every sector and part of the world, especially for top technology, communications, media, consulting and financial services businesses. From 1998 – 2007, Don was Senior Executive Vice President for Strategy and Development at Discovery Communications, home of the Discovery Channel and media properties in 170 countries. From 1994 – 98, he was an Assistant to the President and senior adviser for President Bill Clinton, serving as White House Communications Director, Chief Speechwriter and Director of Speechwriting and Research. Before working in the White House, Don was a journalist from 1985 – 94 at U.S. News & World Report and The American Lawyer, before that, was a media lawyer in New York City at Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler.  He currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of PBS and a member of the Meredith Corporation Board of Directors, as well as on several other non-profit boards. Don has a B.A. from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Master’s from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a J.D. from The University of Virginia. He and his wife, Nancy Bard, live in Washington, DC and have two sons.