#129 Nov 05, 25

The Future of Public Affairs: AI, Advocacy, and Authentic Leadership | Alex Wirth

Alex Wirth, Co-Founder and CEO of Quorum, joins Anthony Shop to explore what it really takes to lead with influence, from the Senate floor to the tech boardroom. Alex shares how he built one of Washington’s top civic tech startups from a Harvard dorm room and scaled it to more than 330 employees. He breaks down his “Hacker and Hustler” founding model, the evolution from “Superman” to “Captain America” leadership, and why consistency, clarity, and communication define great leaders.

In this insightful conversation, Alex reveals his approach to influence inside organizations and in Washington, D.C., including how Quorum helps Fortune 500 companies, associations, and nonprofits advocate effectively. From using AI to personalize congressional outreach to leading with authenticity and transparency, Alex shows how influence today means building movements, not just managing teams.

Takeaways:

Communicate more—and more consistently. Great leaders are “Chief Reminding Officers” who repeat key priorities across channels until they stick.
Know your strengths and build around them. Use tools like Gallup StrengthsFinder to balance influencers, executors, relationship builders, and strategic thinkers across your team.
Adapt your leadership as you scale. Move from doing everything yourself (“Superman”) to empowering other leaders (“Captain Americas”) who can build their own high-performing teams.
Personalize advocacy. Whether engaging staff or lawmakers, tailor messages to individuals. Authentic, human communication wins over one-size-fits-all tactics.
Communicate, especially when it’s uncomfortable. Transparency during uncertainty builds trust faster than waiting for perfect answers.
Measure and prove impact. Tie public affairs objectives to measurable outcomes, including financial value, to strengthen organizational credibility.
Sustain your own energy. Prioritize rest, exercise, and downtime so you can bring your best self to your work and lead for the long haul.

Quote of the Show:

“Communicate when it’s most difficult to communicate—that’s when people need it most.”

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amaliowirth/
Website: https://www.quorum.us/

Shoutouts:

Adrian Newey Autobiography: https://a.co/d/0RHW62Z

Episode Video

Creators and Guests

Host

Anthony Shop

Anthony Shop believes in the power of people-centered branding and marketing to create a bright future. He chairs the National Digital Roundtable, the premier convener of digital innovators, leaders and policy shapers. Anthony also is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Social Driver, a digital services firm that helps companies and non-profits establish winning strategies with social media, websites, creative, and advertising. An enthusiastic presenter and teacher, he has led executive-level training for Amazon, PepsiCo, NASA, The British Embassy and the Bipartisan Policy Center. He has been recognized as an “OUTstanding LGBT Role Model” by The Financial Times, “40 Under 40” by The Washington Business Journal, and Business Leader of the Year by the DC Chamber of Commerce. A former newspaper reporter, Anthony was the first new media professional elected to the National Press Club’s Board of Governors. He currently serves on the boards of Leadership Greater Washington and LearnServe International. He earned his MBA from The George Washington University School of Business, where he teaches as an adjunct lecturer.

Producer

Amanda Goyette

Producer

Robert Krueger

Robert is an Executive Director for The Communications Board, an organization with the mission of providing high-quality professional development for every communicator in every location. He is also the Global Lead for Partnership Communications at Gensler, the world’s largest architecture and design firm. Prior to his current role, he performed executive and CEO communications for Gensler, and was the senior director of public relations and social media at the Urban Land Institute. He obtained an MA in Communications and an MA in History from George Mason University. He did his undergraduate studies at the University of Missouri-Columbia. In addition, Robert has taught communications at universities including George Mason University, West Virginia University, and the University of Florida. Robert currently serves as Immediate-Past President for the Public Relations Society of America’s National Capital Chapter (PRSA-NCC) -- the nonprofit’s largest chapter.