TheBridge profile: Heather Wilson

Heather Wilson
Current city: San Francisco, CA
Current job: EVP/Managing Director, National Crisis Management & Strategic Communications for MWW
Past job: Managing Director, Head of the San Francisco office for Abernathy MacGregor
Q. Favorite spot for a coffee meeting: illy in the financial district

Q. Job advice in three words?  Proactive, eager, thoughtful

Q. How are you (or your company, org, nonprofit) currently bridging the gap between politics and tech? We have people from both sides (tech and politics) at our firm which helps with some of the "connectivity" - I serve as a bit of a translator between the two having worked in both. My job as a crisis adviser is part management consultant, part communications consultant and part therapist. I work with tech companies to not only help them through difficult spots but to get them better prepared - whether it's a shifting policy/legislative landscape or an issue with the government (or beyond), the job is to help them better understand and respond to policy/legal matters.

Q. What can Silicon Valley teach DC? There is a nimbleness here. Silicon Valley is good (generally) at cutting through the process and focuses on just getting things done. It's that entrepreneurial mindset that seems to run through most things out here.

Q. How do you unwind after work? I try and go to the gym most nights after work - it really helps clear my head and shake off the day.

Q. Best advice you’ve received? Try and avoid the negative (meaning negative people - but it can apply to many situations).

Q. If you had to live in another city, which would it be? Geneva or frankly almost anywhere in Switzerland. I just adore Switzerland. It's also fairly central within Europe so you're a short train ride to other places and I love to explore new places.