Debra DeShong

Debra DeShong is the Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications for Qcells, a leading clean energy company, owned by Hanwha one of the largest companies in South Korea.  As a corporate affairs leader, Debra provides leadership at the nexus between communications and policy, as the company strives to harness the promise of the Biden Administration clean energy transition.

Prior to joining Qcells, Debra served as the Executive Vice President of Public Affairs for PhRMA, the trade association representing the biopharmaceutical industry.  For more than two years, she spearheaded multiple national campaigns around vaccine hesitancy, health equity and drug pricing.   Prior to joining PhRMA, Debra was the Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications and Global Industry Affairs for MGM Resorts International. In this role she oversaw both external and internal communications as well as the development of messaging strategies for issues impacting the Company around the world.

Debra has more than two decades of experience in public policy, communications, and international relations. Prior to working at MGM, she was the Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Public Affairs at Subject Matter, a public relations and communications firm in Washington, D.C.

Her prior experience also includes serving as Chief of Staff to U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy, working as a founder and executive at Washington public affairs firms Point Blank and Five by Five and holding top communications positions with the United Nations Foundation, U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli, the Democratic National Committee and the John Kerry for President campaign.

Debra has a master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Fairfield University.