grayson emmett
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PARTNERS

LEADERSHIP CONSULTING · MENTORING · DEVELOPMENT

Leadership
is
personal.

Develop stronger leaders.
Help them develop the next generation.

Personal counsel for senior executives and rising leaders. Build sound judgment, share meaningful responsibility, and turn everyday business challenges into opportunities to grow.

Explore leadership services
↗
Independent counsel. Human perspective.
Keith Burton, founder of Grayson Emmett Partners
EXPERIENCED COUNSEL. PERSONAL GUIDANCE.
Keith Burton / Founder
GRAYSON EMMETT PARTNERS / EST. 2014

TRUSTED RELATIONSHIPS. LASTING IMPACT.

In their own words.

Six perspectives · Select a circle to read
“Keith Burton is a big thinker with a clever approach to achieving industry-changing aspirations. His commitment to nurturing his relationships with colleagues, industry peers, and student mentees is the root of his ability to make a meaningful impact in his work. Keith instills confidence in others to take a seat at the table, raise their hand, and subscribe to a shared mission of thinking bigger. Keith’s most prominent trait as a leader comes across in his zeal for building leadership in the people around him.”

Chelsea Stern

Account Executive, M Booth

“Keith Burton is an exceptional leader who has been a transformative mentor to me. He has a genuine passion for helping others, and the invaluable guidance he has offered me has truly made a difference in my career. I highly recommend Keith for anyone seeking leadership or development.”

Jesse Nadelman

Director, Brunswick Group, New York

“Keith has been an indispensable mentor and advisor throughout my career. For more than seven years, his candid feedback and unique insights into senior leadership perspectives have profoundly shaped my approach to challenges. Keith’s guidance has consistently introduced new ways of thinking that have significantly propelled my professional growth.”

Leah Seay

Consumer Communications Leader, OpenAI

“Keith is an exceptional mentor who generously shares his wealth of experience and knowledge to advance and uplift those he mentors. Having Keith in your corner is a game changer. He is dedicated to ensuring you reach your highest potential, often guiding and creating pathways for his mentees to succeed while holding them accountable to embrace opportunities with grace and wisdom.”

Eric Winkfield

Vice President, M Booth, New York, N.Y.

“Keith Burton has been an extraordinarily generous leader and mentor for our students and faculty at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School. As a member of our department’s Advisory Council, his insights and guidance have been invaluable to our strategic direction and curriculum development. Keith also initiated an innovative Leadership Academy here, delivering an in-depth, engaging professional development program that gave high-potential students a unique advantage in the job market. As a counselor, Keith earns trust through his acumen and tireless service ethic, and his clients and colleagues invariably benefit.”

Anthony D’Angelo

Department Chair & Professor of Practice, S.I. Newhouse School of Communications, Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.

“Keith Burton is by far the thought leader and expert on organizational performance through communications. Working with and observing his work continues to raise the bar in terms of thinking, approach, and execution. Organizational performance is about the human spirit and no one is better at capturing behavior and mindset than Keith.”

Gary F. Grates

Partner, Grates Consulting Group, New York, N.Y.

01 / LEADERSHIP CONSULTING

Better leaders.
Stronger successors.

For agency heads, communications executives, and the people preparing to lead alongside them.

Developing a leader also means developing the environment around them.

Emerging leaders need experience, candid feedback, and room to make decisions. Senior leaders need to delegate, sponsor talent, and help others build confidence. We work on both sides of that relationship, connecting personal development to the realities of running a business.

Leadership Review

A focused starting point: interviews with senior and emerging leaders, a review of relevant business context, and a findings conversation to agree on priorities and practical next steps.

For agencies, that includes how teams lead client relationships, assign responsibility, manage expectations, and make decisions about people and work.

Leadership Development Partnership

A six-month engagement designed around a senior sponsor and two rising leaders. Individual mentoring, practical learning sessions, and a shared business assignment make development part of the work.

Separate conversations create space for candor. Joint sessions clarify expectations, strengthen sponsorship, and review progress—with clear agreements about confidentiality.

Ongoing Leadership Advisory

Continuing counsel for agency heads, executives, and leadership teams on leadership effectiveness, team alignment, and organizational change.

A defined meeting rhythm and quarterly review keep attention on current decisions, agreed priorities, and observable progress.

DEVELOPMENT THAT SHOWS UP IN THE WORK

Real responsibility.
Practical progress.
01 / JUDGMENT

Learn through decisions.

Bring live business challenges into the conversation. Practice weighing tradeoffs, explaining decisions, and following through.

02 / SPONSORSHIP

Make room for others.

Help senior leaders delegate meaningful work, offer specific feedback, and give emerging talent access and visibility.

03 / CHANGE

Preserve the path to growth.

As AI and hybrid work reshape assignments, deliberately create opportunities to learn, develop judgment, and earn client trust.

Progress means clearer delegation, stronger people and client decisions, and visible growth on an agreed business assignment.

Keith Burton seated in his office
PERSONAL GUIDANCE. PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE.

02 / MEET KEITH BURTON

Seasoned counsel.
A personal commitment.

Experienced counsel for leaders—and a personal commitment to the people coming next.

Keith founded Grayson Emmett Partners in 2014. His career includes leadership at Brunswick Group and Insidedge, with more than three decades of experience in communication and employee engagement.

His consulting focuses on leadership effectiveness, mentoring, executive development, team alignment, and leading organizational change. The aim is to help people develop sound judgment and have a real opportunity to lead.

Explore Keith’s background
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03 / BUILDING GREAT TEAMS

The next generation
needs us in the room.

Trust, talent, and the future of communications leadership.

Participants gathered at the Building Great Teams leadership forum at Syracuse University’s Lubin House
Building Great Teams / Lubin House, New York / March 25, 2026
Colleagues gathered beside the Building Great Teams forum banner
Bringing leadership experience into the conversation.
An informal conversation among participants at the leadership forum
Personal connections. Shared perspectives.

At the Building Great Teams forum, senior communications and agency leaders joined rising professionals to examine how talent is recognized, developed, and advanced.

The discussions underline a practical responsibility: give people meaningful work, create deliberate opportunities for exposure, and make sponsorship part of how leaders lead.

Insights drawn from the forum report, credited to American Airlines and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University.

THE PR SQUEEZE PODCAST

A conversation
about what
comes next.
Watch the conversation ↗

IN CONVERSATION / KEITH BURTON

Leadership starts
with listening.

Tony D’Angelo hosts Keith Burton and Ron DeFeo, chief communications officer at American Airlines.

Explore the PR Squeeze episode featured alongside the Building Great Teams leadership forum.

Watch the episode
↗
Explore the forum, photographs, and takeaways ↗

04 / PERSPECTIVES

Ideas worth
bringing to the table.

Observations on leadership, character,
and the relationships that shape our work.

A CONVERSATION IS A GOOD PLACE TO START

Let’s Talk

Whether you're working to rebuild trust and engagement, leading your organization through significant change, developing the next generation of leaders, or simply looking for a fresh perspective on a difficult leadership challenge, let's begin with a conversation.

No deck. No pitch. Just an honest exchange about where you are, where you want to go, and how I might help you get there.

Book a 30-minute conversation.

Open booking calendar ↗ · Email Keith

PERSONAL COUNSEL. A PRACTICAL FIRST STEP.

Begin a conversation.

Get in touch with Keith to arrange a time to talk.

Email Keith ↗+1 312 282 2533