Chris Swonger
President & CEO • Washington DC, US • [email protected]
Host of The Spirited Advocate Podcast, Chris Swonger is extremely dedicated to the promotion of distilled spirits and their responsible consumption. As President & CEO of both the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) and Responsibility.org Chris Swonger understands the fine balance between caution and promotion needed in the alcohol industry.
Skills
Motivated and focused – Advocates for commercial interests with government relations strategies, aligning deliverables with business priorities.
Corporate executive with track record of success – Promotes corporate reputation; solidifying senior management support for executing public affairs strategies.
Proven management/leadership skills – Leading diverse international team, fostering strategic partners and external stakeholders to deliver objectives in team-oriented environments. Always exhibiting integrity, judgment, persistence and high-performance standards.
Leader in coalition building – Ability to work across multiple stakeholders; trade associations, third parties, business leaders, tax, regulatory, research & development and legal teams to develop and deliver public affairs strategies to mitigate risk and/or create value for shareholders.
Work Experience
SMITHS GROUP PLC, 2010 - Present
Senior Vice President, Global Government Relations:
Established global government relations function and Washington DC office, advocating for the interests of the parent company its divisions with Congress, federal government customers, state government relations and international affairs with emphasis on Europe, China, Latin America and Southeast Asia, focusing on homeland security, defense, medical device and healthcare, oil and gas sectors.
