Discover the diverse career path of Christopher Lawton, from his journalism days at The Wall Street Journal to his advocacy for LGBTQIA+ rights in the communications industry. Emphasising inclusivity and representation, Lawton shares insights on the importance of continuous advocacy and vigilance in the fight for equality.
Christopher Lawton is a veteran communications professional with over two decades in corporate, product, and business communications. For the past six years, he has led external communications for YouTube’s advertising sector and briefly for Google’s search ads division. Before joining Google and YouTube, Lawton managed financial communications at Salesforce and worked at HERE Technologies, a mapping and location services company.
Lawton’s career began as a journalist for The Wall Street Journal, where he spent 12 years covering consumer goods, technology, and banking across multiple cities including New York, Seoul, San Francisco, and Berlin. His journalism career started with the beverage alcohol industry, famously writing about James Bond’s vodka preference and profiling the creator of Grey Goose vodka. As a tech reporter, he covered major stories on companies like H-P and Dell and noted significant industry shifts, such as the early phase of cord-cutting and Nokia’s decline in mobile phones.
In his personal life, Lawton enjoys spending time with friends and family, hiking, and exploring new places. He identifies as gay and uses he/him/his pronouns. Lawton emphasizes the importance of inclusivity in the workplace, attributing his ability to live openly to supportive employers. He recognizes the need for continuous advocacy from colleagues and stresses the importance of representation and mentorship for young LGBTQIA+ professionals in the communications industry.
Lawton also highlights the role of public relations in sharing diverse stories to combat hatred and ignorance, particularly in the context of ongoing legislative and social challenges against LGBTQIA+ rights. He underlines the need for vigilance and gratitude in the fight for equality, acknowledging both the progress made and the battles still ahead.
