Compass Minerals announces Rick Axthelm as the company’s new vice president, communications and corporate affairs.    

Axthelm will lead all external and internal communications, company branding, government affairs and corporate giving programs. Serving as an adviser and counselor to our leadership team, he’ll manage the development of strategies for reputation building, brand building, employee engagement, and increased interaction with elected officials and local leaders in the communities where we live and work. 

He joins Compass Minerals with 20 years of government relations and corporate communications experience. Most recently, Axthelm served as senior vice president, communications and government affairs, at Contura Energy in Bristol, Tennessee. Prior to that, he was vice president, communications and government affairs at Alpha Natural Resources in Bristol, Virginia.

Axthelm earned his Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Wyoming.