State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company has appointed Michelle Russo as its inaugural chief communications officer, a newly created role aimed at strengthening the company’s strategic communications and brand presence. Russo officially joined the company on Monday.In her role, Russo will oversee corporate, brand, internal, and agency communications, guiding efforts that align with State Farm’s strategic priorities and cultural evolution. She leads a team of roughly 100 people and reports directly to CEO Jon Farney. Interestingly, the company also has an SVP named Michele Russo in its C-suite.Russo comes to State Farm from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where she served as chief communications and marketing officer since 2019. At the Chamber, she led initiatives across brand, media, digital, and thought leadership. She announced her departure last month after more than six years with the organization.“It has been an honor to work alongside a talented team to champion American businesses and shape the Chamber’s voice during pivotal moments, from a global pandemic to a CEO transition to multiple political cycles and numerous policy debates,” Russo wrote in a LinkedIn post. “I am proud of the impact we delivered and the innovation we sparked, fortifying the Chamber as a stable, forward-looking institution at a time of constant change and uncertainty.”Before her tenure at the Chamber, Russo spent more than 14 years at Discovery as head of global communications. She managed crisis responses during international events, directed communications and public affairs strategies for the company’s Olympic Games involvement, and played a key role in Discovery’s debut as a publicly traded company, according to State Farm.Founded in 1922, State Farm is a network of mutual insurance companies across the U.S., headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois. The company reported $123 billion in total revenue for 2024, up from $104.2 billion the previous year, and posted net income of $5.3 billion, rebounding from a $6.3 billion loss in 2023.