Communication sciences and disorders alumna takes an unexpected journey from intern to CEO

When Sarah Wilds ’97 called the Prentke Romich Company (PRC) in the summer of 1995 to inquire about internship opportunities, she set in motion a series of events that would change the trajectory of her life. At the time, Wilds was a sophomore at The College of Wooster. She wanted to gain some professional experience with the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device company, now known as PRC-Saltillo. The company develops communication systems for children and adults who can’t speak, such as adults with ALS or children with autism. She got the internship and spent her summer proofreading manuals and programming songs into devices. Thirty years later, Wilds is leading PRC-Saltillo into its next chapter as its new CEO in 2025. 

“I loved the people and the culture,” Wilds said of that first summer. “The work was fascinating, and I realized I could focus in on this tiny niche industry. Did I think I would eventually become CEO? Absolutely not.” 

Wilds wasn’t sure what she wanted to study when she initially arrived at Wooster. She had stuttered as a child and was interested in learning more about speech-language pathology, so she decided to take an introduction to communication sciences and disorders class the second semester of her first year, in 1996. “The professor was Dr. Jim Rea, and I simply fell in love with the subject,” she said. “It was kind of dumb luck that I stumbled into both the class and the major.” 

When it came time to determine the focus of her Independent Study, Wilds again felt drawn to PRC. She decided to compare two different AAC systems, one developed by PRC and one by a different company. She interviewed three people with cerebral palsy who used the PRC system and three who used the other system to determine how much they were saying and how long it took them to do so. The individuals who used the PRC system spoke more words in less time. She later presented her research at a conference. 

After graduating in 1997, Wilds earned her master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Purdue University. Stuttering still interested her at the time, and she was working toward a career as a professor/researcher. However, an opportunity to move to New Zealand and work as an early intervention therapist right after graduate school was too good to pass up. One of the first children she saw was a young girl with cerebral palsy who had a PRC device, but her family didn’t know how to use it. “I’m generally not one for signs, but I couldn’t ignore that one,” Wilds said. 

Wilds began working as a consultant for PRC a few years after returning to the United States. She earned her MBA from Eastern Illinois University in 2017 and transitioned to marketing and product development at PRC after moving back to Wooster in 2018. She helped lead the merger of PRC and Saltillo Corporation, leading to what is now PRC-Saltillo. In 2022, she became chief operating officer, and in January 2025, she took the helm as CEO. 

In 2025, PRC-Saltillo had 325 employees in the United States as well as almost 100 employees at its subsidiaries in Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Wilds believes her time at Wooster helped prepare her for her current position overseeing the company. 

“Wooster prepared me more technically than I would’ve imagined,” she said. “It offered me opportunities for leadership in different ways, from leading the band on the field as drum major for two years to helping underclassmen get ready for a presentation. Wooster also fostered my curiosity, and I think curiosity breeds leadership. When you’re curious, you naturally ask questions and show interest, and that shapes the direction that you’re moving. People see that and want to be a part of it.” 

Wilds embraces a collaborative leadership style that is solutions-driven and people-focused. She also sees it as important for leaders to have strong personal values. “My values are curiosity, humor, independence, and authenticity,” she said. “They align nicely with our company’s values, which are trust, respect, integrity, and mission. We believe in profit with a purpose. Communication is the essence of humanity, and our work allows us to do good in the world for the most vulnerable individuals.” 

Wilds encourages aspiring leaders to stay curious and follow that curiosity with actions. “Don’t focus on an end goal 10 years down the line,” she said. “Focus instead on the next best thing, or the next right thing, or the next interesting thing. That will keep you engaged and moving forward.” 

Featured image: Sarah Wilds ’97, photo provided by subject

This story originally appeared in the summer 2025 issue of Wooster magazine. 

Posted in Alumni, Magazine on June 30, 2025.