Rachel Spates

About Rachel Spates

Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air.\" — Ralph Waldo Emerson I\'m an award-winning communications professional building programs that connect employees to their organizations, leaders to their audiences, and brands to the people who matter most. At Sun Life U.S, I\'ve had the privilege of leading employee engagement, executive communications, and social strategy for a company of thousands across the U.S. and globally. Some highlights I\'m proud of: growing an employee advocacy program from $590K to $3.1M in Earned Media Value, crafting LinkedIn content for our executive team that consistently lands in the top 1% for engagement, guiding employees through a pandemic, four acquisitions, and a complete reimagining of how and where we work. I\'ve also been recognized alongside exceptional colleagues with multiple Ragan, PRNEWS, and Shorty Awards, as well as the Sun Life CEO\'s Award of Excellence. My core areas of focus include Employee Engagement & Internal Communications, Executive Communications, Strategic & Crisis Communications, Future of Work strategy, and Social Media & Brand. Beyond the day job, I speak regularly on topics like social selling, personal brand, and corporate storytelling — most recently as a panelist at Ragan\'s 2026 Employee Communications & Culture Conference. I\'ve had the honor of serving as President of the UMass Amherst Alumni Association (2023–2025) and currently sit on the board of Community Rowing, Inc. And when I\'m not at a conference or a boardroom table, you\'ll find me in the mountains, on the water, or in the air. I\'ve summited Kilimanjaro (19,341 ft) and four peaks in the Peruvian Andes — including Tocllaraju at 19,790 ft — and earned my Private Pilot Certificate in 2023. Life is too short not to chase the view from the top.

Experience

1. Director, Communications and Employee Engagement

   Sun Life

   Nov 2021 — Present

   Partner with Senior Executives and other key stakeholders (DE & I, Sponsorship & Philanthropy, Human Resources, Talent Acquisition, Campus Recruiting, Legal & Compliance, Sun Life’s Political Action Committee) to advance Sun Life’s objective of fostering a high-performing culture that attracts and retains top talent. • Oversee U.S. brand & Executive social media program• Member of global Employee Value Proposition Activation Lab • Oversee communications and events in support of Sun Life U.S. employee experience• Assist Talent Acquisition through creation of social campaigns and podcasts • Drive integrated marketing campaigns involving sponsors and partners (Boston Celtics, Kansas City Royals, United Way, YMCA, American Red Cross, and more) across various platforms.• Business Unit Operational Risk Officer for U.S. Marketing (20••••24)• Member of Sun Life U.S. Crisis Management Team (CMT) • Work with Creative Services team to ensure brand alignment across internal and external communications

Education

• Boston University

  B.A., Political Science

  1995 — 1999

• Isenberg School of Management, UMass Amherst

  M.S., Sport Management

  2004 — 2005

Skills

• Corporate Communications
• SEO
• Social Media
• Sports Marketing
• Social Media Advertising
• Social Media Marketing
• Silverpop Engage
• Integrated Marketing
• Marketing
• Project Management
• Email Marketing
• New Business Development
• Analytics
• Public Relations
• Internal Communications
• Media Relations
• Marketing Strategy
• Event Planning
• Advertising
• Event Management
• Hats
• Digital Media
• Google Analytics
• Adobe Illustrator
• Vendor Management
• Business Development
• Digital Marketing
• Brand Ambassadorship
• Sponsorship
• Brand Awareness
• Sports Management
• Hootsuite
• Marketing Communications
• Contract Negotiation