When it comes to timely session topics, the virtual IABC World Conference 2021 is a leading industry source — just like Pfizer, Inc., is a leader in COVID-19 vaccine development and distribution. If you are seeking inspiration from the innovative and bold approaches Pfizer’s communication team tackled to achieve a healthier, safer future, you won’t want to miss the World Conference opening keynote from Sally Susman, executive vice president and chief corporate affairs officer for Pfizer and vice chair of The Pfizer Foundation.
When the high-stakes race to produce an effective vaccine became one of the globe’s most critical missions, the biopharmaceutical industry rose to the challenge of helping to put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 28 June at 1–2:15 p.m. PDT (28 June 9–10:15 p.m. BST; 29 June 6–7:15 a.m. AEST), join Susman for a story of collaboration and communication on the road to developing and distributing the COVID-19 vaccine.
In this keynote, Susman will share her insights on Pfizer’s response to the pandemic. When conversations about COVID-19 vaccination began, Susman and her team decided that it was “about time” to set aside conventional tactics in favor of embracing bold ideas to move communication strategies, the country and the world into a safer future. Get an inside look at how Pfizer’s communication team rose to the unprecedented challenge of facing the COVID-19 pandemic, from its “Science Will Win” campaign to the decision to eschew mainstream media and publish an open letter from its CEO on LinkedIn.
Beyond pandemic talk, hear from Susman as she reflects on how her 30 years in communications prepared her for one of the most inspiring moments in her career. What’s that moment? She’ll share at the World Conference.
As Pfizer’s leader of external stakeholder engagement, global policy, communications, government relations, corporate responsibility, investor relations and the Chief Patient Office, Susman will provide an all-encompassing look at the role of a communicator in response to a global health crisis.
“Sally is a business leader at a world-changing organization during a historic time,” IABC Chief Communications Officer Tilden Katz says of Susman’s World Conference keynote. “Her insights and the Q&A session will set the tone for a World Conference that is sure to inspire and motivate the IABC community.”
To celebrate and honor communicators’ collective strength and ability to impact the world around them, join us for the virtual IABC World Conference, 28–30 June. Register now for your key to refreshed inspiration, new perspectives and clarity, industry advancement and innovation.
Check out the links below to learn more about Pfizer’s Sally Susman:
PODCASTS
PodCatalyst Episode 9: IABC World Conference 2021 — ‘A Rallying Cry for Communicators’
In this special edition episode of PodCatalyst, IEB Chair Bonnie Caver and Program Advisory Committee (PAC) Chair Jane Mitchell, FRSA, incoming IABC Fellow, preview the upcoming World Conference.
Take the virtual mic! Do you have a burning question for keynote speakers Sally Susman or NASA’s Isidro Reyna? Submit a question for your chance to have Susman or Reyna answer it live during their keynote presentations.
Catalyst Staff, Featuring Tilden KatzSally Susman
As executive vice president and chief corporate affairs officer, Sally Susman leads engagement with all of Pfizer’s external stakeholders, overseeing global policy, communications, government relations, corporate responsibility, investor relations and the Chief Patient Office. She also serves as vice chair of The Pfizer Foundation.
Before joining Pfizer in 2007, Susman held several senior communications and government relations roles at Estée Lauder Companies and the American Express Company, including a posting in London with responsibility for all of Europe. Earlier in her career, she spent eight years on Capitol Hill focused on international trade issues and was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs in the Clinton Administration.
Currently, Susman serves as co-chair of The International Rescue Committee, one of the world's largest humanitarian aid organizations, and on the board of WPP, the U.K.-based global advertising and marketing company. She also is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She is a frequent commentator in newspapers, magazines, podcasts and broadcast programs and was named a 2019 Top Voice on LinkedIn.
Susman graduated from Connecticut College with a B.A. in government and studied at the London School of Economics.