Change is inevitable, but how leaders navigate it can define the future of a business. In today’s fast-paced, disruption-prone environment, strong leadership means more than just reacting to shifts in the market.
To uncover more on the topic of leading through change, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce sat down with Dave Tovar, Senior Vice President of Communications & Government Relations at Grubhub. Drawing on decades of experience at the intersection of corporate strategy, public relations, and government affairs, Dave offered insights on how to create stability for key stakeholders, including investors, employees, customers, and key business partners.
Why is leading through change such a critical focus for business leaders today?
The only constant in life is change, and today’s leaders must become experts at navigating its relentless pace. Just as eating, sleeping, and breathing are second nature, so must be the ability to adapt and change. Quickly.
The business landscape is evolving faster than ever, driven by technological advancements, shifting markets, and global developments. While it might be tempting to attribute these changes solely to political or economic factors, the true game-changer lies in the speed and flow of information – and the equally pervasive spread of mis-and dis-information. We live in an era where anyone, from a small publication to a single individual with an iPhone, can shape public perception on a massive scale. What was once the domain of major news outlets is now accessible to almost everyone. This democratization of information brings with it a powerful duality: a platform for authenticity and transparency, and a risk for misinformation and viral missteps.
In this environment, effective leadership goes beyond managing resistance to change. It demands proactive engagement, clear communication, and a culture of openness. Leaders must inspire trust, encourage adaptability, and foster resilience – qualities that are essential for competitive advantage and long-term success. Ultimately, those who can lead through change with authenticity and agility will be the ones who shape the future, not just survive it.
During significant change, how do you prioritize communication to build trust with investors, employees, customers, and partners?
Clear, honest communication is the cornerstone of building trust during times of change. Begin by tailoring your message for each stakeholder group – whether they’re investors, employees, customers, or business partners – while maintaining a consistent core theme. It’s about delivering the right message to the right audience at the right time. After all, the bait must taste good to the fish, not the fisherman.
Active listening is just as important. Establish reliable feedback channels that show you truly value input, rather than simply paying lip service. Consistent, multi-channel updates backed by visible, empathetic leadership reinforce your commitment and ensure everyone stays on the same page during transitions.
Finally, don’t underestimate the impact of the messenger. Selecting the right leader to communicate with key stakeholders can significantly enhance how your message is received. Ultimately, people want to understand the “what,” “why,” “how,” and “when” of change – and answering these questions clearly can make adapting to change much smoother for everyone involved.
How do you ensure your company has the necessary resources to stay connected and responsive to stakeholder needs and concerns?
Staying connected starts with establishing a solid change management framework. Before you do anything else, it’s so important to have a dedicated communication team that has resolute buy-in from the CEO and executive management team along with representation from all key functions across the organization. This team should lead multi-channel communication efforts, delivering clear and consistent messages while setting up systems for two-way feedback to genuinely listen as much as they speak. This work is wasted if the team can’t analyze qualitative and quantitative data provided by key stakeholders. You must have the ability to turn stakeholder data into actionable insights.
For smaller or mid-sized companies feeling overwhelmed on where to begin, AI tools can be a real game-changer. Taking the time to learn and implement these tools effectively can streamline processes and boost efficiency dramatically. Last year, I challenged every team member to integrate a new AI tool into their daily workflow. The results were transformative – it automated routine tasks, helped sift through and analyze data faster, and freed up time to focus on more strategic, thoughtful stakeholder interactions. Embracing AI isn’t just about keeping pace. It’s a tool to reimagine how your team engages with stakeholders to make every communication more intentional and impactful.
Can you share an example of how your teams have adapted engagement strategies to connect with key stakeholders effectively during change?
Effectively connecting with stakeholders during periods of change requires a thoughtful balance between fast, responsive feedback mechanisms and longer-term, strategic engagement efforts. In my experience, the most successful approaches recognize that while some decisions demand immediate input, others benefit from deeper, more reflective dialogue over time. I’ve consistently led my teams using a dual-track engagement strategy – combining agile tools for real-time insights with structured platforms that support sustained, meaningful collaboration.
For instance, in a previous role, we implemented a targeted survey program for key opinion leaders in critical markets. These surveys went out every single day and blended traditional questions on brand favorability with customizable items addressing specific issues and pain points. Distributed on a rolling, real-time basis, these surveys delivered immediate, data-driven feedback. This agile feedback loop proved invaluable in testing and fine-tuning our messages and responses, ensuring our communications were meeting our audience where they were at and aligned with their current needs.
In a different role where we had a much longer planning cycle, my team developed an online portal that served as a virtual town square for business leaders and a diverse network of stakeholders. The platform organized discussions into distinct topical areas, with each topic assigned to a dedicated executive leader, enabling our partners to provide direct, verbatim feedback. By making the ask realistic – only 15 minutes a day, twice a day – for business leaders and demonstrating the value of receiving this feedback from partners, we secured strong buy-in from the top down, which then cascaded throughout the organization. This not only streamlined the process of gathering insights, but eventually transformed them into actionable strategic decisions.
About Dave
Dave Tovar is the senior vice president of communications and government relations for Grubhub. He is responsible for all external and internal communications, including consumer public relations, policy communications, brand reputation, crisis and issues management and employee communications. He also oversees the company’s political, legislative and regulatory agenda at the federal, state and local levels as well as Grubhub’s corporate philanthropy, social impact and environmental sustainability programs. Prior to Grubhub, Dave served as the chief corporate relations officer for McDonald’s USA. Earlier in his career, he was the chief communications officer at Walmart and Sprint. He serves on the board of advisors for the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Center for Public Relations and the dean’s leadership council for the University of South Carolina’s College of Information and Communication. He is also on the board of directors for the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and is a board member of the Communication Leaders of Chicago. Dave received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware.