2026 BayAreaCMO ORBIE Awards

2026 BayAreaCMO ORBIE Awards · Large Enterprise Finalist

David McCulloch

Chief Marketing & Communications Officer

Pacific Gas and Electric Company

David McCulloch

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Bio

David McCulloch is Vice President and Chief Communications and Marketing Officer for Pacific Gas and Electric Company, leading communications and marketing for 16 million customers across Northern and Central California. Before joining PG&E in 2022, he led communications for Alphabet’s X initiative focused on grid decarbonization and previously held leadership roles at Hitachi, GE, Cisco, and Text 100. He was PRWeek’s 2014 North America Public Relations Professional of the Year.

Success Story

Following a 13% electric rate increase in January 2024, PG&E faced steep declines in customer satisfaction and brand trust. Rising bills, compounded by extreme weather, intensified affordability concerns and strained customer relationships. To rebuild trust, PG&E launched a three-part communications strategy: Open Lines, a CEO-led campaign acknowledging customer frustration; a yearlong effort highlighting wildfire safety investments; and communications supporting companywide cost-reduction initiatives. By summer 2025, the strategy delivered measurable results: PG&E achieved the largest year-over-year Brand Trust increase of any U.S. utility (+17%), while customer satisfaction, perceptions of rates, safety confidence, media sentiment, and overall trust all rebounded significantly.

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