Hilary Rosen

Hilary Rosen is a Democratic strategist who serves as a political commentator for CNN, appearing across the network’s programming and special political coverage. Hilary is a well-known strategist who navigates the intersection of communications, media, and politics. She has been an advisor to many federal candidates as well as the Democratic National Committee. She was the first Washington Editor and Political Director for The Huffington Post and prior to CNN was a contributor at MSNBC and CNBC. She is a regular political columnist for The Washington Post and her articles have also appeared in numerous publications nationwide and on CNN.com.

Rosen is the former chairman and chief executive officer of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the trade group representing the U.S. sound recording industry where she served for 17 years before retiring in June 2003. At RIAA, Hilary was a force guiding the entertainment industry’s political efforts. Her name appeared regularly on influential year-end power lists including Entertainment Weekly’s “Annual Power List,” The Hollywood Reporter’s Power 50 Women, and National Journal’s “Washington’s Powerful Insiders.”

Rosen is also a prominent voice for LGBT equality and was named by the National Journal as one of 25 most powerful LGBT players in Washington DC; one of Out magazine’s 100 list for her leadership of the Respect for Marriage Coalition, the media campaign which accompanied the historic same-sex marriage wins at the Supreme Court in June 2013. Her well-known legacy of activism on behalf of the LGBT community started in 1982 when Rosen joined the call for federal action on AIDS and has continued on multiple campaigns. She is profiled in a book Pennsylvania Avenue: Profiles in Backroom Power (2008) by John Harwood and Gerald Seib for her management of the successful 2004 campaign in Congress to defeat President George W. Bush’s proposed Constitutional Amendment banning same sex marriage.

Rosen is a founder of Rock the Vote, the organization that promotes youth political involvement. She is also currently a managing director of SKDKnickerbocker, a leading public affairs and strategic communications firm with office in DC, NYC, and LA.