CHICAGO — Former National Instruments chief communications officer Jennifer Allison has joined Gagen MacDonald as a managing director.

Bringing more than 20 years of experience to the role, Allison will be counseling clients on business transformation including culture and employee engagement, digital strategies, future of work and M&A integration.

Allison has spent the bulk of her career in in-house roles, serving most recently as National Instruments CCO. At National, Allison oversaw all aspects of communications and led a global team that was responsible for elevating and protecting the company’s reputation.

Before National Instruments, Allison spent 16 years at Dell Technologies, where she held communications and operating roles including VP of executive and internal communication.

“Jenn comes to Gagen with an intense passion for the work we do and with extensive experience in M&A, digital transformation and the future of work,” said founder and CEO Maril MacDonald. “With her strong values, extensive professional network, business acumen and drive for excellence we are confident Jenn will provide essential counsel to clients and colleagues.”

Allison joins the Chicago firm nearly a year after it was acquired by APCO Worldwide. The acquisition bolstered APCO’s expertise in transformation, employee engagement and internal culture, building out the suite of corporate advisory services APCO offered at the time.