Episode 59 – Strategy & IC: A masterclass in collaboration

In this episode of The Internal Comms Podcast, host Katie Macaluay looks into the dynamic between internal comms and strategy – at its best a symbiotic relationship that drives the business strategy forward, galvanises teams behind the organisation’s mission and enables transformation. This week’s guests, Canada Life UK’s Chief People Officer Nick Harding and Head of Communications and Engagement Alana Renner, are experts in how this partnership works in action. Over the course of the conversation the pair unpick the integral partnership between the comms and strategy functions at the life assurance company, outlining the ways each function has been instrumental in its transformation over the past two years. After all, what is a strategy without its guiding voice? Alana and Nick also reflect personally on their illustrious careers (including their respective early pop star credentials!), exploring the ways they work together and influence each other. They take a dive into the comms role as ‘influencer’ in the organisational strategy, and what the future of the workplace looks like, leaving us with some inspirational food for thought.