Corporate Communications: Driving the Business Forward

08:00 AM - 08:45 AM ET

Registration and Breakfast

08:45 AM - 08:50 AM ET

Welcome and Introductions

Ivan Pollard, Center Leader, Marketing & Communications, The Conference Board

08:50 AM - 09:15 AM ET

Latest Research on the CCO Role

How do CEOs and CCOs see the communications function advancing business strategy? What skills in the the latter role will be needed more than ever? What crises should communicators expect to tackle in 2025? We’ll share fresh research on these topics as well as what else may await communications teams in 2025 based on research from The Conference Board, including its annual survey of CEOs and members of the C-Suite from businesses around the world.

Denise Dahlhoff, PhD, Director, Marketing & Communications Research, The Conference Board

Ivan Pollard, Center Leader, Marketing & Communications, The Conference Board

09:15 AM - 09:30 AM ET

Networking and Cross-Pollination

We will kick off our event by meeting one another to share our most important priorities and accomplishments since we last convened. Our Chair will then take the stage to gauge attendees’ sentiment on the most pressing challenges confronting the function in 2025.

09:30 AM - 10:05 AM ET

The State of the Function: How Corporate Communicators Will Drive Business Forward in 2025

In 2024, this session was introduced with the observation that “upheaval has become daily fare” – and yet even that feels like an understatement today. How has the function continued to evolve in response, and what further disruption is positioned on the horizon in 2025? In this discussion with communications leaders spanning sectors, we will discuss some of the most significant changes they have seen throughout the evolution of the function, the biggest challenges and opportunities lying ahead, and the strategies and tools they will need to employ to address them.

Beatriz Perez, EVP and Global Chief Communications, Sustainability & Strategic Partnerships Officer, The Coca-Cola Company

Allyson Park, Chief Communications Officer, Walmart

10:10 AM - 10:40 AM ET

Media on Media

From the slow demise of print journalism to the rise and fall of blogs, the race for digital traffic, and now the rise of artificial intelligence, the news media industry has experienced lightning-speed generational change. Semafor Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief Ben Smith and Semafor Global Head of Events and Communications Meera Pattni discuss how the media navigate these changes, covers itself, breaks through the noise to create a robust reputation among an ever-growing number of peers, and stays relevant in a rapidly changing media environment.

Meera Pattni, Head of Global Communications, Semafor

Ben Smith, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Semafor

10:40 AM - 10:55 AM ET

Networking Break

10:55 AM - 11:25 AM ET

The Bridge Between Your Internal and External Brand: How Recruitment Communications Fit In

In this session, we’ll dive into a recruitment campaign case study that shows you how it connects to internal and external branding. What does the bridge between the two look like? How are your recruiting communications connected to your overall company positioning? What do you want candidates to take away from their experiences with your organization? You’ll learn ways to connect your recruiting communications to your company culture, and which communication methods will reach your target audience.

Laurie Korinek, Founder and Chief Creative Officer, PartnerComm

11:30 AM - 12:05 PM ET

Vision Meets Voice: The Essential CEO-CCO Connection

The relationship between a company’s CEO and CCO is pivotal in achieving business success. And today’s CCO role has evolved far beyond traditional media relations, encompassing a broader strategic perspective, and influencing decision-making and business outcomes. Together, CEOs and CCOs champion a cohesive message across all platforms grounded in the company’s vision and purpose, ensuring consistency and transparency that resonates with stakeholders. In this conversation, learn how a CEO-CCO partnership rooted in trust is crucial in times of transformation and crisis, when issues management and change communications can safeguard a company’s reputation and drive success.

Greg McCullough, Senior Vice President, Chief Communications Officer, Thrivent

Teresa Rasmussen, CEO, Thrivent

12:10 PM - 12:40 PM ET

Building a Corporate Brand: How L’Oréal Established Its Reputation as a Leader in Tech

In 2024, L'Oréal Groupe CEO Nicolas Hieronimus delivered the first-ever keynote from a beauty company at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show. We welcome L’Oréal North America’s Matthew DiGirolamo to share with us a decade-long journey to communicate the stories of L’Oréal’s tech ambition and advancements, transforming the image of a cosmetics company to that of a tech innovator. We will explore what it takes to develop a new side of a legacy brand from scratch and the impact it has had on the business.

Matthew DiGirolamo, Chief Corporate Affairs & Engagement Officer, North America, L’Oréal Groupe

12:40 PM - 01:40 PM ET

Networking Lunch

01:45 PM - 02:15 PM ET

Misinformation and Polarization: Measuring Reputation in a Volatile World

Many companies neglect a key resource in their communications arsenal, their corporate website, even though it can have a powerful and measurable impact on corporate reputation. In this session we will learn how leading communicators leverage this invaluable resource to measure and improve reputation, especially in response to crises and reputational risks.

Scott Payton, Chief Executive Officer, Bowen Craggs

Kevin Kilduff, Director, Global External Communications, Mondelēz International

01:45 PM - 02:15 PM ET

Communications that Enable Change

Amidst dynamic business environments that can make change a matter of survival, corporate change initiatives still often fail. Learn what it takes for communicators to help drive change initiatives that succeed. We will discuss new research and expert practitioner insights on strategies to engage and empower employees through transitions.

Michele Sharp, Vice President, Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility, Purdue Pharma

Makini Nyanteh, SVP, Chief Communications Officer, American Institutes for Research (AIR)

Jan Botz, Program Director, The Conference Board

02:20 PM - 02:50 PM ET

KPIs, Dashboards, and More: Measuring and Acting on Communications’ Impact

Even in organizations that are already well aware of the importance of communications internally and externally as a driver of business success, there can be a lack of actionable KPIs and accessible measurement tools. In this session, we will explore a variety of tools for measuring communications impact and consider how to use those tools to shape communications strategies and tactics as well as how to use metrics to make the business case for the function to the C-Suite and to the Board.

02:20 PM - 02:50 PM ET

Communications on Well-Being: What Makes a Difference?

Since the pandemic, we have witnessed a better appreciation of the importance of mental as well as physical well-being. What messages and what channels are still making a difference in engaging employees, enhancing their experience, and improving their health?

02:50 PM - 03:05 PM ET

Networking Break

03:10 PM - 03:50 PM ET

Townhall: AI

As we convene in early 2025, it will have been almost two and a half years since ChatGPT became available to the public. Led by distinguished AI and communications leaders, we will share honest evaluations from members of our audience members on the impact generative AI is making in their organizations so far. What practices have made the biggest difference on their everyday work? What investments have yet to yield dividends? And how have these new tools caused the communications function to evolve? We will deploy live polling and interactive exercises to share insights among peers.

03:55 PM - 04:25 PM ET

Beyond Sustainability Reporting: Storytelling at Scale is Key to Demonstrating Impact

With tens of thousands of companies required to provide disclosures in 2025 under the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), many multinational companies are struggling to communicate their sustainability efforts in an engaging and impactful way. This session focuses on a successful formula that's been employed at Henkel, where the North American business unit engages in year-round storytelling on environmental and social impact topics. Henkel's Olivia Lawrence, strategic communications manager, will be interviewed by Dave Armon, vice chair at 3BL, on story mining, measurement, coordination across the enterprise and support from partners.

Dave Armon , Executive Vice Chairman, 3BL

Olivia Lawrence, Senior Manager, External Communications, Henkel

04:30 PM - 05:00 PM ET

Weathering the Storm: Frameworks and Tools to Navigate Through Controversy

In our current highly politicized environment, controversies that can roil employees, customers, or other stakeholders will continue to emerge, and will be accompanied by calls for businesses to take a public position. How can organizations better understand their stakeholders’ perceptions, concerns, or misunderstandings on hot button topics? And how should they decide whether, when, and how to respond? In this discussion, we explore frameworks and tools to navigate through controversies in ways that align with stakeholder relationships.

Lisa Kaplan, Founder and CEO, Alethea

Greg Efthimiou, Vice President, Public Relations, GoDaddy

05:05 PM - 05:10 PM ET

Day One Recap and Day Two Preview

Ivan Pollard, Center Leader, Marketing & Communications, The Conference Board

05:10 PM - 06:10 PM ET

Cabaret and Reception

We will end our day on a (literal) high note with a live cabaret performance by one of our most popular speakers of 2024, Mandy Mooney. She will perform three original songs, inspired by her upcoming book Corporating, that will delight fellow communicators in the corporate world.

Mandy Mooney, Director of Internal Communications, Prologis