Leadership Lessons with Nathalie Gherardi, Head of Healthcare at Hanover Communications

Adapting leadership for a multi-generational workforce, prioritising employee wellbeing and development, and why AI is one of the most critical conversations leaders can have right now. We recently spoke with Nathalie Gherardi, Head of Healthcare at Hanover Communications about her take on the public affairs sector in 2024 and beyond.

Take a look.

Looking ahead at the remainder of 2024 and beyond, what significant changes do you anticipate within the public affairs industry?

We have a very dynamic landscape in front of us. We need to be adaptable, well-informed and proactive to what lies ahead. And there are some key challenges.

The digital economy is still a big concern for regulators and companies. How can we ensure our security and protection – nationally and globally – in the digital landscape? Between China, the US, the EU and in the UK, data privacy and regulation is managed in very different ways, and bringing that together is a challenge.

An increasingly strong focus on sustainability as well, and not only from an environmental point of view. It will impact vastly more industries, like chemical, textile, food, agri-food and health. All of this will have implications in how we manage new regulations as public affairs specialists.

2024 has been the year for elections, so having an international focus has never been so important. How will this affect trade policies, international relations, regulations and so on. We’ll need to focus on democratic values, particularly with polarised views and misinformation surging. We need to understand if and how we’re going to deal with these issues, and ensure we maintain progress in legislation and regulation.

How do you think AI will impact the industry? Can you share your views on the benefits, challenges and concerns?

It’s a big subject with our clients at the moment. We’re only at the start, and in the following years, things will become clearer.

The tech has a multitude of benefits: highly targeted communication campaigns, real-time information monitoring, predictive analytics and so on. For us, we can automate tasks and enable our team to dedicate more time to provide strategic advice and engage in high-value activities.

But we’re also facing ethical considerations. We need to find a balance between evolving our capabilities and anticipated potential challenges for legislators and companies. We have to remember that AI is trained by humans, so it’s biased. There’s a lot of misinformation that derives from AI, as well as deep fake, and it’s not always simple to identify what’s real and what isn’t.

So for us, ensuring AI application is lawful and ethical is imperative. It’s our role to help companies integrate AI, embrace the innovation, invest in the future – but do so safely.

What would be your advice to leaders who want to advance their ESG agenda?

It’s absolutely critical for leaders to integrate ESG into any strategy and have a corporate vision for how they’re going to drive results. Transparency and reporting ensure they’re avoiding greenwashing, and developing established frameworks for action. Clear stakeholder engagement with employers, customers and their community will mean ESG strategies have a broader impact, and don’t just serve the organisation’s best interests.

Green financing is a very powerful tool that companies need to leverage. Green bonds, sustainability, linked loans are all examples of ESG initiatives which could have real impact. It might sound obvious but we absolutely need to invest in sustainable supply chains – in fact, it’s really the first step that a company can take. Collaborations are also key to ESG.

Employee wellbeing and development is an important focus right now. It must be the first priority for leaders if they want to succeed, so that should be a big investment moving forward. Start from the bottom up.

How have you adapted your leadership skills or approach recently?

I’ve profoundly changed my leadership approach in the past year. I’ve cultivated a style that’s more fluid and adaptable to manage a multi-generational workforce coupled with the constantly shifting business landscape that requires me to embrace humility and integrate what I’ve learned from both my mistakes and my wins.

I also don’t have all the answers. Embracing external advice and welcoming challenges have proven to enhance my capabilities, and not diminish my authority as a leader. Ultimately, my duty is to adapt my style to each generation and tailor how I manage to best foster their growth. It’s demanding, but being aware of those needs has revolutionised how I lead.

What skillsets do you think the sector will be looking for in the coming years?

A combination of strong tech skills and strong people skills. Soft skills are becoming more and more important – even more so now that AI can do repetitive, basic tasks. Companies are looking for people with good leadership, empathy and people skills. That will differentiate candidates.

The ability to change and adapt quickly is really important, as is clear communication across different cultures and backgrounds. Even if we’re moving back to the office, people have developed the ability to work from anywhere and borders are ‘falling’. So candidates need to demonstrate they can work through those different lenses.

From a more technical point of view, we need talent who can read and use data. That’s becoming a bigger part of our world in public affairs. We’ve always been data-driven, and so are policy makers, but that’s accelerated. We have every opportunity to use deep data to develop and execute strategies.

Finally, can you tell us a bit more about your outlook on the coming year?

I’m fundamentally hopeful.

I recognise the coming year is a critical one with major elections in the US, EU and UK. We’re witnessing trends in extreme political movements, and economically we’re caught between inflation and potential recession, which does complicate matters in business. Environmental issues also remain a colossal challenge, and frankly, we’re lagging in our response. Rather than progressing in this field, we seem to be regressing.

As a public affairs professional, I believe it’s our duty to guide and advise our clients and their stakeholders through this turbulent environment. It’s crucial we’re refreshing our strategic directions to meet these challenges head on.

For more information on our public affairs services, or to find your next quality candidate, speak to a member of our team today.