​***If you do not receive your event confirmation within 1 business day of RSVPing (above), check your email spam folder. The automated Luma email includes the Zoom info and cal invite.***

​Comm Convo pricing:

• ​Complimentary for T2B Pro and Student community members (log into your T2B account and access your promo code here)

• ​$40 for Basic members (access to live event only, not the recording)

​If you're not part of Ticket to Biotech, confirm you're eligible, and join before registering for this event:

​T2B Intake Form

​COMM CONVO: THE OUTSIDER ADVANTAGE: CROSS-INDUSTRY COMMS INSIGHTS

​In life sciences communications, the regulatory and stakeholder complexity we manage sets our work apart. We're trusted advisors shaping critical narratives while navigating requirements that influence every message and timeline. Yet challenges like earning trust, adapting to shifting expectations, and leading through change show up across sectors, and others have wrestled with them from different angles. This Comm Convo brings together communicators who've moved between industries -- in and out of life sciences -- to share what they learned in translation and where outside perspectives can complement our expertise.

​WHY ATTEND

• ​Explore approaches for counseling executives when speed and scrutiny collide, learning from leaders who've faced similar tensions in other regulated industries.

• ​Exchange strategies for building cross-functional influence by learning how communicators maintained expertise when moving between industries and organizational cultures.

• ​Discuss ways to foster team adaptability and confidence within constraints, learning from leaders who've transitioned into or out of life sciences and helped teams see possibilities in complexity.

• ​Consider how outside industry perspectives can strengthen communications' position and influence as we face evolving challenges around trust and stakeholder expectations.

​MEET OUR SPEAKERS

​Lilian Anekwe, Director of Global Digital Communications, GSK

​Lilian Anekwe is Director of Global Digital Communications at GSK, where she leads the transformation of the pharmaceutical giant's digital communications and social media strategy. Since joining GSK in 2023, Lilian has created and implemented a brand-new strategy to overhaul digital communications, transforming corporate communications into industry-leading and market-shaping content. She serves as editor-in-chief of all newsflow across external and social media channels and the corporate website, developing and delivering hundreds of campaigns annually that reach audiences of 1 million+ people per week.

​Lilian brings a unique blend of scientific expertise, digital journalism, and strategic communications leadership to her role. She holds a degree in Biology from Oxford University and studied Science Communication at Imperial College London. Before transitioning to corporate communications, she spent a decade in digital journalism, including roles as Social Media Editor and Assistant News Editor, where she created editorial strategies that grew the magazine's social media following by 14% across 7 million+ followers. She also served as Content Curator at Facebook (Meta), where she was the first content curator hired to establish a brand-new team within the company's news partnerships division.

​Named one of the Most Influential UK Black Communications Professionals in 2025 by PR Week, Lilian specializes in digital-first strategies, business transformation communications, and data-driven content performance.

​Alexandra Engel, Vice President, Corporate Communications, Axon

​Alex Engel is Vice President and Head of Public Relations at Axon, a global leader in public safety technology, where she serves as the company’s primary spokesperson and a trusted advisor to executive leadership. A corporate communications leader and storyteller, Alex works at the forefront of highly regulated, highly scrutinized industries, helping organizations navigate growth, innovation, and public debate with clarity and credibility. She leads media relations, crisis and issues management, executive communications, and major corporate moments, building narratives that stand up to scrutiny and earn trust over time.

​Prior to Axon, Alex held roles of increasing responsibility in Corporate Affairs at AstraZeneca and GSK, following the start of her career as a generalist at public relations agencies. Across healthcare and public safety, her work has centered on helping companies communicate complex, high-impact products in ways that are clear, responsible, and grounded in real-world consequences. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership from the University of Delaware and lives in New Jersey with her husband, three children, and two pups.

​Kathleen Noonan, VP, Head of Corporate Communications, ITM (Moderator)

​ITM (Isotope Technologies Munich) is a leading radiopharmaceutical biotech company dedicated to developing, producing, and supplying targeted cancer diagnostics and therapies. As VP and Head of Corporate Communications, Kathleen Noonan oversees ITM’s strategic communications and brand initiatives across its clinical pipeline and radioisotope manufacturing capabilities. Having built her career across Europe and Silicon Valley, she has shaped corporate narratives and led high-impact communications teams for globally renowned brands including Microsoft, Siemens Energy, General Electric and Oracle.