Dave Johnston, ABC, CLU
Client Services
Dave Johnston is a barbeque pitmaster, teacher, grandfather, and communication consultant. He turned his lifelong love of words into a 40-year career making complicated topics easier to understand.
Clients tap into Dave for his technical knowledge and experience with a broad spectrum of global rewards programs. He is also an engaging presenter who has led more than 1,000 employee meetings (and counting) and speaks frequently to various professional associations.
Dave has advised senior managers and boards of directors in nearly every industrial sector, as well as in higher education and charities. In addition to creating and managing communication campaigns, he has served as an interim benefits communication manager for a large soft drink company.
A graduate of Iowa State University in journalism and mass communication, Dave first worked in broadcasting. After holding several marketing communication positions at The Principal Financial Group, Dave began a career in human resources by consulting at Towers Perrin and Watson Wyatt (now Willis Towers Watson) and at Aon Consulting. While at Watson Wyatt, he led the firm’s Human Capital Communication practices in both the southeastern U.S. and western Europe, and he studied at the Harvard Business School.
Dave is a member of World@Work, where he teaches a course in Strategic Communication of Total Rewards. He is a past Director of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and holds their Accredited Business Communicator (ABC) designation. Dave is also a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and a Fellow of the Life Management Institute (FLMI). His work has won numerous awards from IABC, Business Insurance magazine, and other organizations.