2026 Corporate Communications Event

07:30 AM - 08:30 AM ET

Registration and Networking Breakfast

08:30 AM - 08:40 AM ET

Welcome and Introductions

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

08:40 AM - 08:55 AM ET

Networking and Cross Pollination

08:55 AM - 09:25 AM ET

The State of the Function: The Changes Corporate Communicators Will Confront, and Create, in 2026

For corporate communicators, this is a time of massive change: technological, economic, political, demographic and more. How is the function changing in response, and what can we expect in 2026? In this conversation, we will discuss the changes, the challenges and opportunities ahead, and the strategies and tools needed to address them.

Damon Jones, Chief Communications Officer, Procter & Gamble

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

09:30 AM - 10:00 AM ET

From Underdog to AI Powerhouse: How AMD is Reinventing a Global Brand at the Speed of Modern Communication

How does a $2 billion market cap company transform into a $350 billion+ industry leader in a decade? And how does a once-overlooked brand evolve into one of the world’s foremost AI innovators? In this session, Ruth Cotter shares AMD’s transformation journey and the critical role of clear purpose, disciplined storytelling, and a modern communications strategy in reshaping the company’s culture, brand, and market perception during a period of unprecedented technological change. As AI rewrites the rules across industries and communications, Ruth explores the connection between leadership, authenticity, and narrative, and how each underpins trust and sustainable growth.

Ruth Cotter, Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, AMD

10:00 AM - 10:15 AM ET

Time Machine: Brainstorming the Future

Attendees at each table will co-create and share two statements: first, a one-sentence assessment of the biggest changes they have seen in the communications function since 2022; and second, a prediction of the biggest changes in the communications function they expect to see by 2030.

10:20 AM - 10:50 AM ET

Michael Gonda, Chief Communications Officer of Nike, on Communicating Impact and Inspiration

Michael Gonda has a storied track record of elevating reputations and communicating impact, having served in senior leadership roles at Chobani, and as Chief Impact Officer for North America and Global Chief Communications Officer for McDonald’s Corporation. Now, as Chief Communications Officer at Nike, he and his team are focused on fueling love for Nike, Jordan and Converse and connecting the world to sport. In fireside chat, he will share his experiences and insights on building trust across industries, geographies and eras.

Michael Gonda, EVP, Chief Communications Officer, Nike

10:50 AM - 11:15 AM ET

Networking Break

11:15 AM - 11:45 AM ET

Creating a Cultural North Star: How to Internalize Your Brand's Biggest Promise

A brand re-launch is more than a marketing event—it's a chance to redefine culture. This fireside chat will explore how Colgate-Palmolive strategically transformed its external consumer promise, "Reimagine a Healthier Future for All," into an internal employee promise. We'll discuss how operationalizing the brand through pillars like wellness, inclusion, and purpose-driven work can unify, energize, and provide a clear cultural "North Star" for your entire workforce. Join us to learn how to move your brand from the billboard to the breakroom.

Dana Bolden, Chief Communications Officer, Colgate-Palmolive

11:50 AM - 12:20 PM ET

How We Are Using AI in Content Creation Now

Top communications leaders will share how they are using AI in content creation right now, discussing efficiency, fact-checking, personalization, and risk mitigation. We will also hear from the audience on their experiences and answer audience questions.

Bill Walsh, Senior Vice President, Integrated Communications, AARP

12:20 PM - 12:35 PM ET

Participant Knowledge Exchange

Among attendees at the conference will be someone – likely more than one person – with experiences that will help you tackle a current challenge. There will also be others ready to benefit from your experiences and insights. As we head into lunch, we will use badges to help conference participants connect and share knowledge on the issues that matter most to them.

12:35 PM - 01:35 PM ET

Networking Lunch

01:35 PM - 02:05 PM ET

Prepare To Be Amazed: Are Your Crisis Communications Plans Ready for What’s Ahead?

Concurrent Session 1A For the past several years we have described the environment as one of “unprecedented change” – and yet each year has beat the previous one in its levels of disruption. Have organizations’ crisis communications plans kept up? External and internal comms and public affairs leaders discuss strategies for making crisis communication preparations more resilient and ready for the previously unimaginable.

Jason Alderman, Chief Communications Officer, SmartNews

01:35 PM - 02:05 PM ET

Case Studies on AI and Employee Engagement

Concurrent Session 1B Hybrid work locations, channel and message overload, five generations in the workforce: the challenges for internal communications are substantial. Can AI help meet those challenges? We will discuss case studies of AI deployment to individualize content, analyze and improve effectiveness, and streamline platforms, and consider what AI investments are most likely to pay off in employee engagement.

02:10 PM - 02:40 PM ET

What to Measure, How to Measure It, and What Tools to Use Now

Concurrent Session 2A Effective communication requires effective measurement. But what should be measured to best understand current beliefs, whether a message connected, and what if any change it sparked? What tools and procedures produce accurate, actionable metrics? In this conversation, communications leaders will share how they are measuring beliefs and message impact, and what tools are making a difference.

02:10 PM - 02:40 PM ET

Connecting with the Unconnected: Reaching the Front Lines

Concurrent Session 2B Communications leaders across sectors tackle how to reach those who are not spending their days in front of a screen: front-line workers, who may be in a factory, in the field, or in a storefront, and operating under time and customer pressures. How are communicators connecting with those who, in many cases, will represent the face of a company for its customers?

02:45 PM - 03:15 PM ET

Telling Your Sustainability Story Globally

Concurrent Session 3A The world is still being impacted by – and stakeholders around the world still require disclosure of – enterprises’ sustainability efforts. How can companies tell their sustainability stories with narratives that connect with audiences globally? We will discuss how companies with global reach are communicating their impact, while navigating the challenges of polarization.

02:45 PM - 03:15 PM ET

Does Owned Media Matter More Than Ever?

Concurrent Session 3B As the power of traditional media outlets declines and the power of AI-generated summaries ascends, the ability of individual storytellers to garner huge and loyal audiences through social media, podcasts and video continues. We will discuss how enterprises are bypassing gatekeepers to build direct relationships via platforms old and new, from newsletters to Discord chats, and what factors will make an investment in owned media more likely to succeed.

03:15 PM - 03:35 PM ET

Networking Break

03:35 PM - 03:50 PM ET

Speed Debates

What is your most controversial opinion on the future of communications? What are the best arguments for it, and against it? In this interactive exercise, we seek to open minds and create connections by asking attendees to debate with their neighbors several thorny propositions – and then switch sides after 60 seconds. Each topic will be revealed immediately before the debate.

03:50 PM - 04:25 PM ET

Internal Communications in Transformative Times

In times of transformation, internal communications can affect productivity, retention, mental wellbeing, and in some cases the success of the transformation itself. It may also affect how a brand is perceived externally, as internal messages become external news. This discussion will explore examples of effectively connecting with employees during times of large, disruptive change, whether the changes are rolled out by design or imposed by new circumstances.

04:30 PM - 05:00 PM ET

How Wikipedia’s Openness Fights Misinformation and Disinformation

Let us take a moment to consider something we take for granted that is, in fact, astonishing: In January 2001, a site was launched with the utopian goal of creating “a world where every single person on the planet is given free access to the sum of all human knowledge,” by way of a free encyclopedia edited entirely by volunteers–and anyone could volunteer. Wikipedia celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. It’s now the largest and arguably one of the most trusted reference works in the world. It is the backbone of information on the internet, used by search engines, voice assistants and generative AI tools to serve up instant information. Yet to continue its mission it must respond to global trends, from new technologies and information consumption habits to increased polarization and misinformation affecting the information ecosystem as a whole. In this talk and fireside chat with Anusha Alikhan, Chief Communications Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation, we will explore how Wikipedia continues to remain relevant and win trust—and what other organizations can learn from its experiences.

Anusha Alikhan, Chief Communications Officer, Wikimedia Foundation

05:00 PM - 05:10 PM ET

Day One Recap and Day Two Preview

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

05:10 PM - 06:10 PM ET

Networking Reception