About Wilding’s Roots

For me, it’s always been about leading change to meet the moment.

I’ve worked on Oscar-nominated films, built a profitable book of business for a start-up political PR firm and led Ford’s 75 year-old corporate philanthropy through a rebrand and new investment strategy.

I named this company Wilding Strategies because I once had a boss tell me I needed to “tame my wild filly.”  That was never going to work for me. Changemakers are rarely, if ever, tame.

— Elizabeth Beresford Vidal, Founder

I’ve led strategy for iconic legacy institutions adapting to rapidly changing social, economic and political contexts.

Ford Motor Company

As an executive at Ford, I led cross-functional strategy to elevate the company’s values and and protect its reputation during a period of major economic and political volatility. I rebranded the company’s 75 year-old philanthropic arm and restructured its grantmaking portfolio for greater impact and brand alignment. I built Ford’s first private/public partnership with Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster relief organization, developing an employee volunteer program, donating a fleet of Ford vehicles and investing in a multi-year grant to strengthen their organizational capacity and reach. Harnessing the shared values of grit, tenacity and service, I led the partnership’s integration into the company’s Tier 1 marketing strategy.

Consumer Reports

Under a new CEO, I led executive communications developing thought leadership strategy to position the legacy media company as the leading source for unbiased, trustworthy reporting and insights for consumers. In settings as diverse as Harvard Business School, Techonomy and SXSW we successfully elevated the brand as a dynamic and reliable source for information in an era of misinformation. Facing an aging membership and financial challenges, I also helped to diversify the company’s revenue strategy with high net worth investors such as Craig Newmark and digital products for CR members.

I care about helping leaders focus, evolve and deliver on their mission. Whether I’m building start-ups or rebuilding legacies, I offer honest assessments and creative solutions for getting the best out of teams and finite resources.

FitzGibbon Media

I opened the West Coast office for the global start-up political PR firm, securing clients such as political candidates, Google and Ford, and delivering profits in our first year. Our firm’s clients ranged from major Hollywood studios to labor unions, tech companies and the world’s leading advocacy organizations. We were scrappy and lean, and our human-centered approach to political and corporate communications set us apart at the time, prioritizing reputation management and grassroots driven messaging and strategy.

ACLU & International Rescue Committee

I led strategy and communications for the ACLU and IRC, returning to each to build new teams and programs. At the ACLU, I drove integrated campaigns that grew membership and fundraising by 50%, secured top-tier media, and forged partnerships with donors, nonprofits, businesses, and policymakers. At the IRC, I positioned the organization as a leading voice on the refugee crisis, served as senior counselor to the CEO and former UK Foreign Secretary, managed reputational risks, led a top-performing team, and developed impactful corporate partnerships with Starbucks and Airbnb, among others.

I’m here to bring people together to make impact meaningful—it’s not just taglines or headlines, it’s about real human-centered, world-changing outcomes. 

For me, rewilding business means creating an ecosystem where we harmonize our collective efforts and bring life to organizations and ideas. 

We don’t need to tame our wild fillies—we need to let ‘em run.

As the world around us becomes even more turbulent, I see obstacles as opportunities for growth and collaboration.

— Elizabeth