A co-founder of The PBN Co., Susan Thurman serves as its president and chief operating officer, roles she has held since 1983. PBN is a Washington, D.C.-based public affairs and public relations firm with offices in London, Moscow, Kyiv (Kiev) and Almaty, Kazakhstan. Thurman heads the company’s global corporate and crisis communications group.
PBN opened its Moscow office in 1990 and is credited with introducing the term “PR” into the Russian lexicon. Clients include Anheuser-Busch Cos., BP, Coca-Cola, Diageo, GlaxoSmithKline, Intel, Microsoft, Mittal Steel and Philip Morris Cos.

A native of Stanislaus County, Thurman is a graduate of San Francisco State University. Her father, John, spent 10 years in the California State Assembly, 1972-1982.