Employee Spotlight: Hibo Abtidon
It didn’t take long for Hibo Abtidon to make her mark at Gard. In her first year, she’s already earned both a promotion to senior associate and a reputation for her keen sense of humor, style and fun.
She has become a key part of our Public Relations team, working with account managers on media relations and strategy. She also coordinated our first volunteer day at P:ear, a program for homeless youth in Portland.
“Hibo lights up any room she comes into!” says Naureen Khan, account manager. “I’m always excited when I see her in the office because she has such a warm and bubbly personality.”
We checked in with Hibo on her Gard anniversary to see how it’s going and find out a little more about what makes her tick.
What do you like about working here?
I came here because I liked Gard’s focus on corporate and crisis communications. This was an area of PR I was really interested in and have gotten to do since joining. What I really appreciate about Gard is the ability to craft your own role based on your interests. Though we are an agency with many focus areas, a lot of my client work reflects work I want to be doing.
What inspires you in this work?
Our clients inspire me. All of them have their own stories, and being trusted to help tell those stories to the world is special. I really enjoy writing, and it is fun to write from different points of view and voices.
Where did you grow up and what was unique about it?
I grew up in Beaverton, Oregon. While I’m originally from Somalia, I came to the U.S. when I was 7 and have been in Oregon ever since. My family and I lived in an apartment complex with lots of other immigrant families, mostly Somalis. It was really comforting to walk around the complex and hear my native language, Somali. During Ramadan, my friends and I would go to each other’s houses for dinner and enjoy different family meals. In the apartment complex, Eid felt very similar to Halloween. You could say “Eid Mubarak” to many of the adults living there, and they would give you $1 or $5 bills, a holiday custom.
What kind of music do you like?
I like a lot of different genres, but I’m mostly a big R&B and hip-hop fan. I really enjoy going to concerts. The last concert I went to was in December to watch my favorite band, The 1975. My favorite album is probably “CTRL” by SZA, and according to Spotify, my top album for 2022 was “Renaissance” by Beyoncé, which totally sounds right!
What’s one thing about you that would surprise us?
I love karaoke and my go-to song is “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood. I am also a big “Real Housewives” fan. I watch all the different cities and franchises.
