Adrian J. Hopkins

Director, Internal Communications, General Assembly

New York City

Adrian J. Hopkins is the Director of Internal Communications at General Assembly, a leading provider of digital skills education and talent around the world. He believes thoughtful and transparent communication to employees plays a critical role in powering company strategy because it can help staff see themselves and their work reflected in business priorities. His portfolio includes programming all-company meetings, advising executive messaging, and more.

Before General Assembly, Adrian led several culture change initiatives at The New York Times. He created the company's first global employee mentorship program, which produced higher promotion and lower turnover rates for its participants, particularly for employees of color. He also led the strategy to provide on-demand professional coaching to 4,700 Times employees and, as co-chair of the Black@NYT employee resource group, advised the development of the company’s inaugural diversity report.

Adrian’s approach to communication is grounded in strategy and branding expertise honed at T Brand Studio (The Times’s brand marketing division), Viacom, and a boutique creative agency. He has also been a career coach and writer whose career advice and personal narratives have been published in publications including The Daily Muse, TIME, and Forbes.

Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Adrian earned a B.A. in History from Yale and an M.A. in Media Studies from The New School. He lives in Brooklyn, New York with his wife and rescue dog.