Agenda Day 1 - Thursday 24 September |  Agenda Day 2 - Friday 25 September

10:10 Keynote session: Building profit with purpose

Since joining the FT in 2018, CCMO Finola McDonnell has established a new brand platform for the business, introduced a corporate governance framework and developed a next generation board to reflect the views of younger colleagues across the organisation. She has unified the business with a company mission and values, reflecting the FT’s heritage while also positioning it as a forward looking and inclusive digital media organisation. In her first keynote since taking the helm, Finola will share insights on how to build a purpose driven culture and create an agenda setting brand position in a fragmented world.

Finola McDonnell, CCMO, FT

Followed by In Conversation with:

Finola McDonnell, CCMO, FT
Fenella Grey, Chair, Porter Noveli

10:35 Session Break

10:50 Crafting your narrative: Inspiring confidence and trust through storytelling

• Rational v emotional in a time of fear and uncertainty
• Power of community: Building affiliation through content creation and sharing

Jenny Caven, Director of External Affairs, Slimming World

11:15 Session Break

11:30 Global Trends for Corporate Affairs Leaders

In this session, Matt Painter will bring delegates up to speed with the latest challenges, opportunities and emerging issues facing today’s CCOs and Corporate Affairs leaders. Matt will share the latest data on key global trends, as well as insights from the Ipsos Reputation Council – an advisory group of 150+ senior communicators from some of the world’s most respected organisations.

He’ll explore the strategies that forward-thinking businesses are adopting, as they seek to build reputation resilience. How are they responding to growing expectations around corporate purpose, sustainability and ESG; polarisation and its impact on trust in business; media fragmentation and the threat posed by fake news and disinformation?

Matthew Painter, Managing Director, Ipsos Corporate Reputation

11:50 Session Break

12:05 Developing an authentic communications culture across multiple sites

• Building the value of internal communication in an organisation
• Successfully communicating with a displaced workforce that does not have access to standard communication channels
• Exploring LNER Reserves as an example of the benefit of authentic communications during times of uncertainty

Kate McFerran, Director of Communications, LNER (London North Eastern Railway)

12:35 Networking Lunch

13:35 Creating compelling and creative campaigns

Case Study

• Harnessing insight and data to inform campaign strategy
• How can public sector communications leverage the opportunities and reach of the digital realm
• Applying digital tools and strategies to influence, support and guide stakeholders into taking action

Laurian Hubbard, Strategic communications lead for Citizens and Nations - Transition Communications Centre, Cabinet Office

14:00 Session Break

14:20 What the US elections might mean for the world of corporate and public affairs storytelling

• What are some of the key signposts that might indicate which way is the country going to vote?
• What will a change in leadership mean for the US and the rest of the world?
• How has election messaging and campaign strategy changed over the last six years?
• Can large corporations learn from these changes?
• Must you pick a side? Why corporate and public affairs professionals must learn how to better engage with political messaging and purpose driven content in order to remain credible

Ambassador Ivo Daalder, Former US Ambassador to NATO
Brett Plitt Bruen, President, Global Situation Room

14:45 Session Break

15:00 Driving purpose through the heart of business strategy

• Differentiating between purpose and vision
• Aligning business objectives with internal and external purpose
• Bringing purpose to life: creating a compelling narrative and communicating throughout the organisation

Dominic Redfearn, Global Brand & Communications Director, Diageo
Natalie Deacon, Executive Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability & President, Avon Foundation for Women, Avon

15:40 Chair’s Closing Remarks

15:50 Close of Conference

Agenda Day 1 - Tuesday 24 September |  Agenda Day 2 - Wednesday 25 September