AstraZeneca Bayer AbbVie Novo Nordisk Kyowa Kirin GSK Lilly UCB Merz Aesthetics Takeda Gilead Sandoz Angelini Pharma Boehringer Ingelheim ABPI Kedrion Almirall Merck Ascendis Pharma Bayer AbbVie Novo Nordisk Kyowa Kirin GSK Lilly UCB Novartis Merz Aesthetics Takeda Gilead Sandoz Angelini Pharma Boehringer Ingelheim ABPI Kedrion Almirall Merck Ascendis Pharma

Evolve During Uncertainty, Leverage Emerging Technologies & Navigate Complex Global Landscapes With Agile, Insight-Driven & Compliant Strategies Which

Strengthen Credibility, Trust & Impact & Deliver Sustainable Reputation Communications Excellence For Pharma & Healthcare

7th Annual
One-Day, Industry-Led Conference & Networking Exhibition • 18th November 2026 • The Grand Connaught Rooms, London

08.30 Registration & Informal Networking

OPENING REMARKS

09.00 GIC Welcome & Morning Chair’s Opening Remarks

Rachel James-Owens , Vice President Corporate Communications and Media Relations, Zealand Pharma

Strategic Leveraging Of AI In Communications

OPENING KEYNOTE

09.10 Harness AI Make Communication Functions More Operable, Provide Insights and Boost Cross-Functional Collaboration

  • Go beyond the use of AI as just a time saving application and harness the strategic implementation of AI for communicators and its demonstrable business impact
  • How is AI influencing the information landscape and what impact is that having on trust, credibility and perception in the pharma industry?
  • Evolve or perish! Adapt to constantly changing AI developments and evolve alongside AI to keep pace with tech changes

Krysia Sommers, Head of Strategic and Executive Communications, Bayer

Effective Patient Partnerships

PANEL Q&A

09.30 Harness Patient Influence, New Channels & Shared Expertise to Shape Meaningful Partnerships & Deliver Demonstrable Impact

  • Amplify patient voices and going beyond storytelling to build long-term relationships and trust between patients, patient groups and pharma companies
  • Harness the rise of the patient as an influencer and maximise the value of collaborative relationships for greater reach through trusted voices
  • Find the balance between the clinical expertise of pharma and the patients’ lived experience to promote co-creation and shared decision making
  • How can Pharma and patients collaborate on campaign-led patient advocacy and deliver tangible examples of impactful patient partnerships?

Gabor Purman, Patient Advocacy Director, Kyowa Kirin

Lisa Timothy, Head of Public Affairs & Patient Advocacy, Takeda

Pia Beltrao Hansen, Senior Director, Head of Commercial Communications, Ascendis Pharma

Disease Awareness

KEYNOTE

10.00 Adapt Disease Awareness to Changing Patient Behaviours Through Trusted & Inclusive Communications That Inform and Build Connections

  • Make use of practical approaches to disease awareness with contents that that bring accurate information and real patient experiences together to amplify impact
  • Identify the changes in the way patients interact with healthcare and adapt approaches to disease awareness to reflect both their information needs and lived experiences
  • How can organisations tackle the rise of misinformation with meaningful contributions to patient education and awareness?
  • Enforce allyship across disease areas that recognises the diversity of patient voice and go beyond box-ticking, creating space for sharing experiences that reflect the realities behind each condition

Alessandra Fonseca, Global External Communication Director, Kedrion Biopharma

10.20 Bonus Session Reserved for Conference Partner – Resolver

10.35 Morning Refreshment Break with Informal Networking

11.05 Bonus Session Reserved for Conference Partner – Langland

Geopolitics: Agility in Uncertainty

PANEL Q&A

11.20 Balance Agility & Messaging Consistency As Geopolitical Forces Reshape Reputation & Drive Durable Organisational Reputation

  • How can pharma companies preserve identity under the pressure of political polarisation and remain a trusted voice amongst patients?
  • How can organisations develop comms strategies that are agile, flexible and durable enough to withstand volatile external conditions?
  • How can teams communicate strategically during times of tension, balancing values, business interested and external stakeholders into a consistent narrative?

Rene Rust, Head of Corporate Communications and Government Affairs, Almirall

Diana Trojanus, Communications Director, EMEA Region, Merz Aesthetics

Lucie Sabikova, Head of Communications MCO Eastern Europe, Takeda

11.20 Bonus Session; Reserved For Exclusive Conference Partner

Why Pharma Needs To Start Treating Social Media As Social Media

KEYNOTE SESSION

11.50 

  • Why Pharma Still Struggles on Social Media – The impact of risk aversion and reputation concerns, how compliance is often blamed when mindset is the real barrier
  • Social Media Isn’t a Digital Noticeboard – The difference between publishing and participating, and why audiences engage with people and stories, not only corporate messaging
  • Challenging Assumptions About Audiences – Case study of TikTok in the care sector and what happened when audience behavior was prioritised
  • The Opportunity for Pharma and Practical Actions for Teams to take away with them

Katie Vickers, Social Media & Digital Communications Manager, AbbVie

12.10 Bonus Session Reserved for Conference Partner – Waggener Edstrom Worldwide Ltd.

12.30 Lunch Break & Informal Networking

13.00 Peer To Peer Discussion Zones

A) AI as a Tool in Comms

Laura Chamley, Senior Director Public Affairs, Gilead Sciences

B) Strategic Role of Comms

Mark Grossien, Head of Strategic Communications, Sandoz

13.30 Afternoon Co-Chairs’ Opening Remarks

Marina Moustaka, Director, International Medical Communications, Abbvie

Karen Borrer, Head of Communications, UCB

13.40 Bonus Session Reserved for Conference Partner

Evolving Stakeholder Ecosystems

PANEL Q&A

14.00 Navigate Complex Stakeholder Landscapes with Cohesive Strategies that Drive Collaboration & Trust

  • How can teams leverage integrated communication plans to promote collaboration with different stakeholder groups?
  • Streamline communications through multiple channels to meet the needs of complex stakeholder audiences
  • Maximise the impact of comms strategies across key audiences and build trust in a changing environment

Chiara Antoniucci, Global External & Internal Communication Director, Angelini Pharma

Eoin Weldon, Head of EMEA Communications, Merck Life Sciences

Katherine Jordan, Senior Director for Corporate Affairs, Novo Nordisk

Jérôme Dévé, Director of External Communications, Pfizer

Luke Willats, Head of Global Communications & Strategic Affairs, Merz Therapeutics

Marie-Louise Møller Lange, Head of IO RA Policy & Advocacy, Novo Nordisk

Misinformation, Trust & Credibility

KEYNOTE

14.40 Turn Insights into Action: Measurable Strategies To Combat Misinformation & Build Lasting Trust Across Stakeholder Audiences

  • How can organisations become a trusted tone of voice in the age of misinformation and scepticism around healthcare products and services?
  • How can the healthcare system shape perception and build brand credibility in an era where reactionary or misinformed information travels at lightening speed?
  • How can industry contribute to the prevention of misinformation, and not just intervention when it emerges?

Robert Ede, Senior Director and Head of Corporate Affairs, Lilly

Building Reputation – ABPI’s Value of Industry Campaign

KEYNOTE

15.00

Andy Collier, Senior Policy Manager – Reputation, ABPI

Measuring Impact in Pharma Comms

DELEGATE DISCUSSION

15.20 Turn Insights into Action: Measurable Strategies To Combat Misinformation & Build Lasting Trust Across Stakeholder Audiences

  • How can organisations become a trusted tone of voice in the age of misinformation and scepticism around healthcare products and services?
  • How can the healthcare system shape perception and build brand credibility in an era where reactionary or misinformed information travels at lightening speed?
  • How can industry contribute to the prevention of misinformation, and not just intervention when it emerges?

15.40 Afternoon Refreshment Break with Informal Networking

Reputation Management

KEYNOTE

16.10 Safeguard Trust Through Proactive, Coordinated & Data Informed Reputation Management

  • How can organisations identify early signals of reputational risk and develop proactive strategies to mitigate issues?
  • Leverage data and stakeholder intelligence to inform reputation strategy and guide decision making
  • How can professionals proactively protect organisational reputation in such a fast-paced and heavily scrutinised healthcare environment?

Marco Gerometta, Communications Director – Global Clinical Operations, R&D, GSK

Health Equity

FIRESIDE CHAT

Alvaro Ingles Prieto, Senior Manager Innovation Unit Communications, Corporate Affairs, Boehringer Ingleheim

Compliance without Constraint

KEYNOTE

16.50 Create Flexible, Compliant Communication Strategies That Can Adapt To Evolving Policy Demands

  • How can teams ensure alignment and compliance across cross-market communications?
  • Dive into the role of communications in shaping and responding to policy developments across healthcare systems
  • Stay ahead of shifting regulations by building agile processes that can respond to change without compromising quality or integrity

17.10 Afternoon Co-Chairs’ Closing Remarks & End of Conference