Expertly Said

Why does the same communication approach work in one region and fall flat in another?

Stephanie Roberts is the Chief Communications Officer at Hitachi, where she leads teams responsible for brand, public relations, digital and social media, executive communications, reputation and crisis communications, and internal communications across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia Pacific. 

In this episode, Stephanie joins Kristen Sweeney to discuss how her experience living and working in Tokyo over the past four years has shaped her approach to communication.

How do you create messaging that breaks through the noise and actually sticks?

Steve Woodruff, President of Clarity Fuel Inc. and author of Clarity Wins and The Point, has spent decades focused on one core idea: clear communication is the most valuable professional skill. His work spans sales, marketing, consulting, and training, all focused on helping people translate complexity into language others can understand.

In this episode, Steve joins Kristen Sweeney to discuss why less is sometimes more and why distillation is the true art of communication.

What makes a story truly resonate? 

Evon Burton is Associate Director of Patient Marketing at Bristol Myers Squibb, where he leads integrated initiatives that connect brand strategy with real patient needs, blending data-driven insight, cultural fluency, and regulatory rigor. An accomplished marketing and communications leader, Evon has more than a decade of experience driving patient and consumer-centered strategy across biotech, pharmaceutical, nonprofit, and cultural sectors.

In this episode, Evon joins Kristen to unpack the role of storytelling in pharma marketing and communications.

What guiding principles inform your work? 

D’Shonda Brown, Corporate Communications Manager at Tris Pharma, is a storyteller, strategist, and speaker who explores the intersection of creativity, technology, and representation. With a background in journalism and corporate communications, she's passionate about helping others harness the power of authentic storytelling to inspire change and shape culture. 

In this episode, D’Shonda joins Kristen to discuss how her guiding principles influence her approach to communication. 

When engaging busy stakeholders, clear communication is essential. 

Davina Stanley, Director at Clarity First, advises executives and product managers on communicating high-quality insights that lead to better, faster decisions. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience—including time supporting consultants at McKinsey—she is an expert at bringing clarity to complexity and surfacing the big ideas people struggle to articulate.

In this episode, Davina joins Kristen to discuss the structured thinking techniques and stakeholder management strategies that enable leaders to communicate clearly and move decisions forward.

What happens when you ask “why”—and then keep asking it?

From her early career as a dietitian to her current role leading medical communications at Parexel, Nichola Gokool has built her work around the belief that understanding the “why” behind people’s needs, behaviors, and decisions is the foundation of impactful communication.

In this episode, Nichola joins Kristen Sweeney to discuss how this belief has shaped her engagement with stakeholders across pharma.

Note: The Parexel program Nichola references in one of her responses is now called "Wayfinders in Leadership" and is not only limited to women.

What role, if any, should AI play in developing biotech and pharma manuscripts? 

Svetlana Pidasheva, PhD, is the Director of Scientific Communications at Radius Health, with 19 years in biotech and pharma across multiple therapeutic areas and company stages, and a PhD in experimental medicine from McGill University. 

In this episode, Dr. Pidasheva joins Kristen to discuss the rigorous, human-led process behind developing a scientific manuscript—and whether AI can fit into that process. 

Note: Dr. Pidasheva shares a quick disclaimer that all opinions are her own and not those of her employer, Radius Health.

Scientific discovery creates knowledge, but communication determines whether that knowledge actually helps people.

Dr. Rajiv Saini, Chief Scientific Officer at H2Ocean and a Harvard Medical School graduate specializing in clinical operations and industry leadership, has significant experience leading R&D operations, creating high-value research propositions, and uncovering new pathways for scientific advancement. A dentist and periodontist by training, he has published more than 170 peer-reviewed papers and built a career aligning clinical research with commercial potential to deliver evidence-based, market-ready solutions. 

In this episode, Dr. Rajiv Saini joins Kristen to discuss what it takes to communicate science responsibly to people who aren’t scientists.

What does it take for companies to produce quality content at AI speed? 

Tony Cohn is the Director of Customer Marketing at Everflow, where he leads the company’s content production. With more than 15 years in marketing, Tony’s work centers on translating complex, jargon-heavy technology into language people can actually understand. 

In this episode, Tony and Kristen explore how content functions across an organization, how partner and affiliate marketing really works, and how AI is changing the way teams produce and use content.

Are you being intentional enough about your company’s culture? 

Ann Melinger is the CEO and owner of bink and an internationally recognized expert in organizational culture, employee engagement, and change management. With more than 25 years of experience, Ann has worked across global communications agencies and now leads teams helping organizations align culture with business strategy. 

In this episode, Ann Melinger joins Kristen to discuss culture as a driver of business performance.