As a public relations expert, Danielle Montana COM‘16 has spent the last decade working across all areas of PR. Starting her career with an internship at NYC Triathlon, she moved into professional agency roles working with clients representing luxury travel, B2B technology, consumer goods, financial services, and other industries. She is currently senior vice president of integrated media at Peppercomm, based in New York City.

Montana has led public relations programs for Dos Equis, Hyundai, Outback Steakhouse, Dole Packaged Foods, and more. She is also a senior judge for the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)’s Big Apple Awards and PR Platinum Awards.

“I take an integrated approach, combining strategic marketing and communications tactics to help clients reach and resonate with their target audiences, wherever they consume content,” said Montana.

In our Q&A, Montana discusses her career, how she integrates AI into her work, and her advice for students interested in pursuing a similar career.

SC&I: Describe to us a day in your life as the Public Relations Senior Vice President at PepperComm.
DM: The best part of working on the agency side of communications is that no two days look the same, truly! I support a variety of clients across financial and professional services, technology, consumer, and more.

In a single day, I might advise a client on influencer strategy and pitch ideas for integrating creators into their marketing program. I may counsel another on a crisis situation, drafting reactive statements to help them manage reputational risk. I often develop long-term communications strategies to support client growth in the U.S. market or contribute to new business efforts to bring more great clients into the Peppercomm family.

One of my favorite aspects of the job is that while we take our work seriously, we don’t take ourselves too seriously. I feel lucky to work alongside a team I genuinely enjoy collaborating with every day.

SC&I: How do you integrate AI into your work?
DM: Two or three years ago, I only saw AI as a tool that some of my technology clients used in their products or workflows. I never imagined it would soon become a critical part of my own industry.

Peppercomm, owned by Ruder Finn, embraces a progressive mindset around adopting emerging technologies. We use Microsoft’s Co-pilot, and I continue to find new ways to apply it daily. It helps me distill key discussion points and notes from internal and external calls, draft scopes of work for clients, and jumpstart brainstorming materials, among many other uses.
AI has improved efficiency by automating many administrative and repetitive tasks, which gives me more time to focus on strategic and creative work.

SC&I: Do you recommend that students use AI? What should students avoid?
DM: I always encourage students and my teams to use AI with caution. While it offers incredible value, it also comes with limitations.

Students shouldn’t rely on AI to generate final written materials. AI-generated content is often easy to spot and usually lacks the subject matter expertise that PR clients expect. For time-consuming, low-value tasks – like pulling research, formatting coverage links, or drafting call notes – AI can be a great resource. But always double- or triple-check the output to ensure accuracy and relevance.

SC&I: What advice would you give SC&I students planning to pursue careers in public relations?
DM: Work hard—and then work even harder. You won’t always be the smartest person in the room (and honestly, you shouldn’t want to be!), but you can always control your effort. Showing passion, motivation, and curiosity through your work will help accelerate your growth and career.

Say “yes” to every opportunity. Enter your “say yes” era. Whether it’s volunteering at an event, taking an unpaid internship, or drafting social content for a campus group, just do it. Every experience counts and helps build your professional foundation.

Be your own advocate. If you don’t fight for your seat at the table, no one else will. Don’t hesitate to challenge the status quo, share ideas, ask for a call, or send a follow-up email. Advocating for yourself sets you apart and creates the opportunities you deserve.

Learn more about the Communication major at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information on the website.