Meet Our Team
Derwin Johnson
Affiliate Consultant
Meet Our Team
Affiliate Consultant
Derwin Johnson is an independent senior communication consultant with more than 30 years of experience as a journalist, communication executive, and educator. Clients rely on Derwin to advise them on how to develop media content, anticipate media conduct, and drive local, national, and international media relations campaigns. He conducts messaging, media, and presentation training workshops, enabling clients to hone and deliver messages effectively and with impact to internal and external audiences.
Prior to becoming an independent consultant, Derwin was a senior vice president at APCO. Before joining APCO he was a principal at Vistance Group, a corporate and financial communication firm he co-founded in 2001. In addition, he was U.S. director of media and communications training for one of the largest global public relations companies.
Passionate about helping others toward successful media careers, Derwin spent seven years at Columbia University as associate professor at the Graduate School of Journalism teaching RW1 (Reporting and Writing One) the school’s core course and advising student masters’ projects. He also co-taught a weekly, two-day Nightly News Reporting workshop.
He is a Mentor/Tutor at Mathews-Dickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club.
Provides strategic and tactical guidance and is counsel to financial service firms, law firms, governments and Fortune 500 companies representing a wide range of industries, including airline, professional services, technology, pharmaceutical, health care, hospitality and beauty and fashion
Worked with governments and heads of state in Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, South America, Nigeria and South Africa, as well as scores of CEOs, corporations, NGOs and non-profit spokespeople around the world
Co-led the development of the National Communication Center for a Gulf Cooperation Council State and served as director of strategic communication and international outreach
Played a critical role in launching the first 24-hour news channel in the Republic of Georgia, training scores of professional and aspiring journalists and creating the network’s marquee primetime news program
Lobbied in the United States and Western Europe on behalf of media freedoms in that developing Eastern European country
Relevant Journalism Highlights
Served as Middle East bureau chief for both CNN and ABC News headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon and Cairo, Egypt
Traveled extensively throughout the Middle East and Western Europe covering politics, business, wars and unrest
Covered Vice President George H. W. Bush as a member of the traveling press corps
Broadcast producer for ABC News’ World News This Morning and Good Morning America news
Produced segments for numerous other television news shows, including World News Tonight, Nightline and 20/20
Senior producer for PBS’ pilot series Imaging America
Lead pool producer for the American broadcast networks for the Persian Gulf War based in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; negotiated daily with the U-S Department of Defense for the release of the networks’ video coverage of the war