2026 Corporate Communications Event

08:00 AM - 08:45 AM ET

Registration and Breakfast

08:45 AM - 08:55 AM ET

Welcome and Opening Remarks

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

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

08:55 AM - 09:10 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

09:10 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.

Allyson Park, Chief Communications Officer, Walmart

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

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

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.

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

Meera Pattni, Head of Global Communications, 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, Co-Founder, Strategist and Creative Director, PartnerComm

Jessica Kleiman, Senior Vice President, Communications, Lennar

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

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

Terry Rasmussen, President & CEO, Thrivent

Jan Botz, Program Director, Internal Communications Council, The Conference Board

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

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

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.

Kevin Kilduff, Director, Global External Communications, Mondelēz International

Scott Payton, Chief Executive Officer, Bowen Craggs

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, EdD, Vice President, Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility, Purdue Pharma

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

Jan Botz, Program Director, Internal Communications Council, The Conference Board

02:20 PM - 02:50 PM ET

How to Thrive in the Age of AI: From a Supportive Tool to a Force Shaping Narratives

AI presents new opportunities to revolutionize how brands engage, strategize, and build trust. But what does this future really look like—and how can organizations prepare to thrive in it? This session will explore the evolving role of AI in communications, from enhancing strategic decision-making to driving execution at scale. Drawing on real-world examples and practical insights, we will examine how AI is shifting from a supportive tool to an active force in shaping brand narratives, audience engagement, and content optimization.

Brian Buchwald, Global Chair, AI and Product, Edelman

02:20 PM - 02:50 PM ET

Only Connect: How Media and Brands Engage Audiences in Today’s Information Ecosystem

How can brands convey their stories when information sources are kaleidoscopic, and may not be trusted? How can media organizations bring potential audience members to them when an AI-generated summary might mean that the original source is never seen? In this discussion, explore new strategies to find and build relationships with readers, customers, and stakeholders in a rapidly transforming information environment.

Danielle Badler, Program Director, Corporate Communications Strategy Council, The Conference Board

Josh Awtry, Senior Vice President, Audience, Newsweek

Rob Jekielek, Managing Director, The Harris Poll

02:50 PM - 03:05 PM ET

Networking Break

03:10 PM - 03:40 PM ET

CEO Positioning in a Complex, and Sometimes Hostile, World

This panel will explore how communicators can strategically position their CEOs and C-suite leaders in an era of rising geopolitical tensions, misinformation, polarization, and rapid business transformations. Drawing on insights from research and case studies, it will consider how communications leaders can build credibility, manage sentiment, and navigate complex environments to strengthen their leadership’s influence and drive corporate success.

Megan Noel, Global President, Corporate Affairs, Golin

Jonny Bentwood, President, Global Data & Analytics, Golin

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

03:45 PM - 04:15 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

04:20 PM - 04:55 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.

Greg Efthimiou, Vice President, Public Relations, GoDaddy

Lisa Kaplan, Founder and CEO, Alethea

Jan Botz, Program Director, Internal Communications Council, The Conference Board

Stephen Hahn-Griffiths, Global EVP, Chief Strategist, RepTrak

04:55 PM - 05:00 PM ET

Day One Recap and Day Two Preview

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

05:00 PM - 06:15 PM ET

Musical 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

Eric Schackne, Composer, Producer, Music Director