Alicia Thompson, ACC, APR
Alicia Thompson, ACC, APR is an executive coach, leadership advisor, and communications strategist with more than 30 years of experience helping leaders navigate complexity, change, and growth. As the founder and president of Signature Leadership LLC, Alicia partners with executives to redefine how they lead in a rapidly evolving workplace, guiding them to lead with greater perspective, presence, and power. Her work is grounded in real-world leadership experience and focused on helping leaders align who they are with how they show up. Prior to launching Signature Leadership, Alicia built a distinguished career in global corporate environments, holding senior leadership roles including Vice President of Communications at Randstad Digital and Randstad USA, Vice President of Communications at Edible Arrangements, and Managing Director at the Atlanta offices of global PR agencies Edelman and Porter Novelli. Throughout her career, she has led high-impact communications strategies, advised C-suite executives, managed complex change initiatives, and built teams that deliver both strong business outcomes and meaningful cultural impact. She is widely respected for her ability to combine strategic clarity with a human-centered leadership approach. An Associate Certified Coach (ACC) through the International Coaching Federation and an accredited public relations professional (APR), Alicia brings a practical, personalized, and future-focused approach to coaching. Outside of her professional work, she is an avid foodie with a passion for exploring new culinary experiences, enjoys traveling to gain fresh perspectives, and finds creative balance through adult coloring. Based in the Atlanta area, Alicia is also a sought-after speaker and thought leader, known for helping leaders lead with confidence, authenticity, and lasting impact.
• Associate Certified Coach (ACC)
• Executive Coaching Diploma Program
• Emory Advanced Executive Coaching Foundations Certificate
• Accredited in Public Relations
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte - BA English
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro - MA Speech Communications
• PRWeek Awards 2019 Jurist
• 2018 Top 100 Most Influential Black Women
• 2018 PRWeek Hall of Femme
• The Network Journal's 2018 25 Influential Black Women in Business
• PRSA Georgia The Order of the Phoenix
• PRSA│GA Phoenix Award
• 2012 Top 100 Most Influential Black Women
• National Eagle Leadership Institute 2001 Eagle Award
• Atlanta Ad Club's 1999 Young Advertising Professional of the Year Award
• International Coaching Federation Professional Coaches
• Alliance Theatre Advisory Board
• College of Charleston Department of Communication Advisory Council
• PRSA|GA
• Atlanta Community Food Bank
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to resilience and the ability to remain focused, adaptable, and determined in the face of challenges. Throughout my career, resilience has allowed me to navigate change, overcome obstacles, and continue moving forward with purpose. It has shaped my work ethic, strengthened my leadership approach, and enabled me to grow both professionally and personally while consistently striving for excellence.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The advice that changed everything for me was: Own your voice before someone else defines it for you. Owning my voice allowed me to navigate corporate politics, communicate with confidence, and build & lead high-performing teams. It also helped me build a career without dimming as a Black woman in predominantly white executive spaces.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don’t outsource your confidence. Build it from competence, self-awareness, and community. The industry will test your confidence — sometimes unintentionally, sometimes structurally. Your job is to stay anchored in your values, build allies early, and learn to articulate your ideas with clarity and courage.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge and opportunity is the same: leaders are being asked to navigate more change, more uncertainty, and more expectation than ever — and they’re doing it with less clarity underneath them. The world of work is shifting faster than leadership habits. Many leaders are still operating with pre-2020 mindsets: overly tactical, overly self-sufficient, and unclear in their communication. The opportunity is enormous: leaders who can scale their perspective, build trust, and communicate with clarity will outperform their peers. Organizations scale at the rate their leaders evolve — and evolution is the new competitive advantage.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My core values — authenticity, empathy, accountability, honesty, and courage — are the foundation of how I lead, coach, and live. Authenticity: because leaders can only scale when they stop performing and start telling the truth. Empathy: because influence is impossible without understanding. Accountability: because teams trust what you consistently do, not what you say. Honesty: because clarity is an act of care. And Courage: because every meaningful pivot in your life has required it.