Unleashing Innovation In Internal Digital Communications Speakers

Hendrik is an experienced and ambitious communications director, pushing boundaries across the entire company and beyond. With a strong sense for strategy, he brings corporate communications to the next level by building strong teams and helping business leaders to be successful in bringing strategies to life. With a passion to drive change, he lead the communications function in the widest sense of the word. Hendrik is Group Director Communications at Refresco.

Marjorie Etter is an accomplished leader in Learning & Development, Content Management, and Change within the tech sector, with over 15 years of experience. Her international background grants her a unique global perspective, vital for driving learning and change in hardware technology at top firms. With notable roles at Google, Apple, Fitbit, and Meta, Marjorie has been a pioneering figure in Silicon Valley, particularly as an advocate for women in tech. A dedicated Six Sigma practitioner, she combines empathy and expertise to ensure the success of quality programs and organizational change. Educated in the US, England, and Switzerland, Marjorie excels at embracing challenges, problem-solving, and cultural adaptation. Her growth mindset and enthusiasm for the new and unknown drive her continual evolution and innovation in the rapidly changing tech landscape.

A digital-first approach to humanizing tech is what sets Rita Carezzano apart. Currently the Chief of Organization at lastminute.com - the travel tech leader in dynamic holiday packages - Rita brings a holistic view about processes, changes and people empowerment to her every day. Rita boasts over two decades of expertise in Customer Service and Organizational leadership, with a diverse background extending beyond the travel industry to include roles in telecommunications, banking, and insurance (including notable positions at Reale Mutua and Santander Group). Throughout her career, she has spearheaded transformation and improvement initiatives in prominent leadership roles Rita believes that any project, plan or tool cannot be successful without people's engagement. She said: “The human touch is the game changer in any organization. In these fast changing and challenging times we need our people engaged to accomplish our goals and grow. Blending a sharp technical and organizational vision with active listening, collection of feedback and inclusion isn’t a choice, it’s the only way.

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Alexander Jansen (he/him) is Communications Manager for TikTok in the Netherlands and lead for the Pride ERG in Europe. He is responsible for media relations and campaigns in the Dutch market showing TikTok's cultural and economic impact. Alex is also an avid technologist with years of AI, policy and political communications experience and currently serves as a board trustee and (queer) inclusion advocate. Prior to joining TikTok, he worked in different sectors at organizations such as BlackRock, Omnicom and NATO's Allied Command Transformation.

Caroline is the Head of Colleague Channels and Experience at Lloyds Banking Group. The Group has c.58,000 colleagues and serves more than 30 million customers across the UK and includes famous brands like Bank of Scotland, Halifax, Lloyds Bank and Scottish Widows. Caroline and her team shape and maintain the Group’s channels, always looking for ways to target and tailor the experience for colleagues, while reducing the noise! Caroline has been with Lloyds Banking Group for 11 years, during which time she has led the Group’s Internal Communications team, as well as several senior content and business partnering roles. Prior to joining Lloyds Banking Group, Caroline held a number of internal communication roles at Friends Life (now part of Aviva), where she completed her post graduate diploma in internal communications.

Elsjede Vries is an organizational psychologist turned Global communications professional. Elsje obtained her MA in Psychology in Amsterdam and her MA in Business Management in Leiden, The Netherlands. She has spent her professional career working internationally for global corporations, specializing in leading global communication teams and strategic communication initiatives through organizational transformations. As a trusted advisor to executive leaders, Elsje serves as an enabler of an engaged workforce by helpingto connect bridging a company's strategy to measurable individual and team contributions. Her passion is to inspire and connect people, teams and communities and to be a catalyst for strong organizational cultures. Elsje co-leads the DE&Iefforts for the inclusion of women in leadership positions through leading a women'smentorship program called The Collective.

Dennis Agusi is the Head of Digital Communications at Philips, where he oversees the internal, external, and social media channels. His innovative, data-driven approach has significantly enhanced audience engagement by optimizing their journeys and experiences.

Maud is Acting Head of the Internal Communication Unit at the European Investment Bank (EIB). In her current role, she oversees strategic communication initiatives and develops internal communication campaigns to accompany key EIB Group priorities. Her goals are to ensure seamless information flow within the organisation and foster an environment where staff members feel motivated, engaged and aligned with the Bank’s values. She advises senior management and stakeholders throughout the Bank on effective internal communication engagement. Maud is leading a hybrid team of eight professionals whose dedication and passion are invaluable assets to the EIB. Maud’s commitment to fostering economic growth and gender equality lead her to found sparkles.lu, a non-profit organisation that empowers women by providing microloans to female entrepreneurs across the globe.

With more than 20 years of professional experience in communications and media, Allar is the head of global group communications for the European Investment Bank. Elsewhere he’s been a news reporter, advisor to a Prime Minister, worked as an editor-in-chief of a weekly paper, and published mystery novels about Elvis Presley and Henri Matisse. He’s had a go at corporate and marketing communication assignments, crisis communication situations, public affairs campaigns, sponsorship and CSR projects, event management, social media and digital, and, yes, even internal communications and employee branding. Projects that he’s been involved in have recently won the European Excellence Award, the Superior Achievement in Branding, Reputation and Engagement (SABRE) award, and the Digital Communications Award. Thanks to working with organizations from a variety of sectors, from healthcare to finance, and from FMCG to technology, he’s always learning from the mistakes and creative successes of others and, occasionally, his own.

With an engineering degree, a master's in communications, and almost 30 years of experience in the IT industry, Thierry has worked in communications, product management, innovation, and product marketing roles for various B2B software vendors, hardware manufacturers, and IT consulting firms. He joined LumApps in 2021 as a senior product marketing manager, collaborating with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Sales, Pre-Sales, Customer Success, Professional Services, or Leadership).

Tim is a global strategic communications and PR manager with 15+ years’ experience across a broad range of sectors including aviation, energy, international development, logistics, real estate and telecommunications. Driven to understand, innovate and improve, Tim is passionate about growing people and performance through effective communication. Interests include current affairs, politics, psychology, and spirituality – topics which often converge in—and complement—his day-to-day work. Tim holds degrees in Linguistics and the Theory of Education and is currently studying for an MBA at Durham University, UK.

Ilze Kuniga van Merwijk (she/her) works as a policy officer in the Diversity and Inclusion Office at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Human Resources and Security. Ilze has nearly three decades of experience in managing teams in public administration at the EU and national level responsible for policy and strategy development, specialist areas and law. She is passionate about development and inclusion and seeks opportunities for testing new strategies. EU Customs Union Foresight is one of the projects that she led in the past. Ilze has been working in the European Commission since 2006. Prior to that she was the Latvian delegate into various governmental working groups during the EU-10 accession. Attracted by the growing importance by the equality values in the society, in 2023 Ilze stepped out of middle management to focus on mainstreaming of equality policy into the European Commission. Her areas of competence include disability, age, gender balance and management. Ilze holds a Business Management diploma in Economics, Leadership Diploma from Oxford Said Business school and holds a Master of Arts (M.A.) in musicology. In her free time, she enjoys playing piano and classical singing, walking in the nature, gardening and doing handicrafts.

Having spent 8 years immersed in the employee experience space, Kaz has a reputation for being a thought leader with a cutting-edge stance on the latest industry trends and predictions. His experience rolling out more than 20 intranets to over a million employees means he has on-the-ground knowledge and data to back up his innovative perspectives - and he is not afraid to challenge the status quo. Kaz joined Unily in 2018 and is now a regular speaker at industry events including Unily's Unite - the #1 employee experience conference.

Drea is a communications and content development professional with ten years of international experience and is currently a candidate for a PhD in Communications. She is presently employed at Tommy Hilfiger, overseeing global social media management. Her background encompasses various roles in internal and corporate communications. With diversity and inclusion always at the forefront of her agenda, she has led global strategies for prominent brands, enhancing visibility, engagement, and cultural impact. Additionally, she has cultivated thought leaders by leveraging their expertise to amplify brand influence and inspire others.

Ciprian's journey at Philips began as an intern, where his exceptional skills in data analysis and crunching quickly shone through. Today he is an Insights & Analytics Manager, where he developed a unified measurement framework for the Philips Communications & Brand function. This framework empowers data-driven decision making, ensuring Philips' communication strategies are backed by strong insights.

Chris has spent the last 5+ years at Blink, a company focused on enhancing the digital employee experience for frontline organizations. For leaders at these businesses, bridging the digital gap and connecting with frontline colleagues is uncharted territory and historically viewed as too tough of a challenge. Having personally helped more than 60 organizations implement Blink's digital tools, Chris has enabled these businesses to improve communication, boost productivity, and foster a supportive work environment. His dedication to closing the digital divide for frontline workers underscores his expertise and commitment to driving positive change in the workplace.

Evelien Bellemans is a seasoned communication professional with ten years of experience. She began her career as an internal communication manager for the production environment of Colruyt Group, the Belgian market leader in retail. There, she developed communication and channel strategies, coordinated communication projects, provided advice and coaching to the management team, and worked on fostering a communicative company culture. Over the past three years, Evelien has made her mark on the entire Colruyt Group, impacting 33,000 employees. As a senior communication specialist, she sets the strategic direction, designs the organisational structure, and cultivates the necessary expertise. Driven by a passion for sharing knowledge, Evelien founded an internal communication community, provides training, and actively contributes to VONK Vlaanderen. Currently, Evelien is involved in a large-scale digital transformation project for Colruyt Group, guiding the transition to a new digital communication and collaboration environment.

With a dual background in agency and In-house side, I always worked on corporate communication challenges for French & WW companies, such as Cegid, Fujitsu, Dell-EMC, Symantec, Sage, Groupe VAG, HP Healthcare, Nivea… After three years with my agency, SELENE, advising companies on digital influence practices, the positive power of networks, and employee advocacy, I joined Cegid as Head of Internal Communication in 2022. To implement a strategy, I want to focus on employees and pride of belonging, modernize existing tools and activities, and create new ones. All of this revolves around a responsible, collective, and digital communication approach. I still leverage my expertise by conducting training sessions, design-thinking workshops on digital practices, teaching courses at higher education institutions, and publishing articles. In short, I love sharing and debating.

At IFF, a global leader in food, beverage, health, and fragrance ingredients, Mahbir leads the Martech efforts, company wide. He is responsible for bringing new ‘phygital’ experiences from concept to customer that engage, inspire, and strengthen customer intimacy, all while supporting IFF’s commercial priorities. No stranger to entrepreneurship, Mahbir also had his own food service business until the beginning of 2023, so he is uniquely positioned and experienced to navigate both the complexities of large multinationals and nimble start-ups. Besides his role in IFF, Mahbir is an experienced public speaker and facilitator known for his on-stage flamboyancy. This year, Mahbir launched an industry-first initiative at IFF called, Nourish Future Marketeers. This visionary program forges new pathways for students from diverse and marginalised backgrounds, immersing them in real business challenges to unearth fresh commercial opportunities with diverse consumers. The initiative has already taken flight in vocational colleges in the UK, and in the Netherlands, and is set to soar in South Africa come September.

Stijn Van De Vyver studied art and cultural history. He held various communications management positions in the European government. He led the development of web applications for internal and external communication. Since 2020, he has been working at Europol in the team that deals with campaigns and digital communication.

Anna has over 15 years of experience working in global companies in Switzerland and the Netherlands. She has held roles in internal communications and collaboration, change management, project management, and process improvement. Anna has combined all this knowledge and experience in her most recent role as an Employee Experience Expert at ING, merging it with another of her passions, Design Thinking. Addressing the "human experience" as a whole helps to break the silos, to think end-to-end, to be customer oriented, and to co-create solutions that have the power to move the needle. "Adopting a real Employee Experience perspective is not easy for a large company. It takes time and visionary leadership; you need to show valuable results, win trust, create engagement, and build sustainable and scalable solutions, but all the efforts are paying off".

Xeniya Shilina is a seasoned internal communications leader with global experience. As a certified change manager, she specializes in managing internal communication during major transformations and leading corporate culture transformation programs. In her current role with Medtronic, a global medical technology leader, Xeniya is leading change communication across 76 markets.

Anna is a marketing and communications professional with over 20 years of experience helping businesses and not-for-profit organisations communicate with external and internal audiences. Over the past seven years, she has been leading internal communications at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, a Geneva-based international organisation responsible for financing immunisation for over one billion children since 2000 and leading the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic through the COVAX mechanism. Gavi operates in a fast-moving global health landscape and needs to adapt quickly to changing circumstances to respond to implementing countries' and donors' needs. In addition to managing day-to-day internal communications, she has been leading change communications on a significant transformation programme since 2021.

Anna Pass, Digital Channels Manager at National Grid, has been working in communications for over a decade at National Grid, and prior to this has worked at companies such as npower, Open GI and Bupa. She completed a degree in Marketing, and started her career as a Marketing Executive at Bupa, before moving into Internal Communications in her role at npower. Her role as Digital Channels Manager is quite varied, and Anna spends her time managing the ecosystem of channels they have at National Grid, as well as making sure the team is up to speed with everything happening in each different system, and using data to optimise the communications they send out.

Pete is a modern workplace / new-ways-of-working obsessive and evangelist. He is committed to helping people, teams and organisations become better at communication and collaboration. With over 15 years international experience across internal communications, change management, digital employee experience and organisational culture, Pete brings a tonne of energy and an innovators perspective to all he does. At SWOOP Analytics Pete helps organisations drive genuine and sustainable change by putting insightful data at the heart of communication, collaboration and transformation efforts.

Experienced professional with over 15 years of expertise in Public Affairs andCommunications across diverse industries, spanning retail, sports and health, international development, and technology. My areas of expertise include technology and digital transformation communication, including cybersecurity awareness, data transformation, culture and literacy, user experience, digital commerce, and product communication. In addition, I have a decade of experience in global corporate public affairs and lobbying, supporting international expansion and development across APAC, EMEA, and LATAM. I am also a melting pot of the Silk Way - my home region. Growing up as a real crossroad, I absorbed different cultures, languages, cuisines, and religions, making me a true representative of diversity and inclusivity. When I'm not busy creating innovative campaigns, you can find me dancing, enjoying ice skating, and proudly supporting my two daughters, aged 8 and 11, who are French national ice skating competitors.