Vanessa Van Edwards on communicating with impact and influencing with intention
Few Unite sessions have ever landed with as much energy as Vanessa Van Edwards’ keynote. From her opening line – “I call myself a social vegan; I avoid meet” – the room erupted in laughter and leant in for what became one of the standout moments of the conference.
Vanessa unpacked the science of charisma as being a balance of warmth and competence, showing that magnetism isn’t an in-built trait but a learnable skill. With workforces more diverse and dispersed than ever before, communicating with authenticity and authority are critical skills for any leader.
Her practical micro-shifts – the words we choose, the tone we use, even the posture we hold – gave attendees insight that wasn’t just insightful, but impactful.
In an era where human connection often competes with digital noise, her message was clear: the ability to communicate meaningfully is the ultimate competitive advantage. That sentiment became a key thread of Day 2.
Communications for constant change: Lessons from Truist
The Truist session offered a behind-the-curtain look at how communication excellence fuels organizational resilience. With a workforce of 40,000 employees to serve, Brad Kozak and Lisa Habib shared how they’ve built a strategy that aligns storytelling, performance, and purpose.
Their approach centers on three goals – engage audiences, instill confidence, accelerate performance – and three guiding principles: be visible, be excellent, be proactive. Using Unily as the vehicle, Truist has evolved its internal storytelling to reflect its corporate strategy in relatable, human terms.
One standout example showed how clarity and empathy drive measurable results: by building a searchable knowledge base, Truist cut HR queries by 34% YoY and boosted content engagement by 122% - while also freeing people to focus on purposeful work.
It was a session that proved when communication is done right, it doesn’t just inform – it changes behavior.
The future of internal comms 2030: Influence, insight, and impact
If Truist demonstrated excellence in the now, the Future of Internal Comms 2030 panel looked ahead. The conversation revolved around what communicators will need to thrive in a landscape defined by rapid technological evolution, but also change fatigue.
Panelists Laura Kennedy, Jason Anthoine, and Paddy La Torre emphasized that communicators must think more like strategists – linking every message to business outcomes. As Jason put it:
“Driving revenue, controlling costs, mitigating risks. Every decision made by every leader is around those three things. So everything we do should be tied to those 3 things. We’re not used to doing it so we’re not good at it – but that’s only because we haven’t tried. So the skills needed are the courage, curiosity, and will to do those things.”
Data literacy combined with business acumen was a critical skill for Laura, who stated: “If it doesn’t lead to behavior change or impact on the business, it’s just numbers on the page."
Our panel also passionately spoke of the unique position IC professionals can position themselves in – the ability to advocate for employees in a way that others can’t. As Laura put it:
“We can ensure employees get the messages they need, not just the ones the business wants to send.”
By 2030, the vision and hope of our panel is that communicators will be strategic advisors, helping leaders become more effective storytellers while AI automates the noise. In other words, technology will clear space for the human element to shine brighter.
Shell’s cultural reset: From strategy to story
Another highlight of Day 2 came from Shell, whose team shared how they aligned 90,000 employees behind a new company direction. Following the appointment of a new CEO in 2023 and the launch of a refreshed strategy, Shell realized the need for a new story to go with the new plan.
The answer was a two-step cultural reset. First came deep, sustained employee listening, which confirmed that people craved clarity and purpose. Those insights became the “North Star”.
Next came the This Is Shell framework: an articulation of purpose, vision, and strategy that gave every leader and employee a common language. The Hub – in partnership with Unily – played a critical role in delivering this.
Tellingly, the results have seen trust and confidence in leadership rise – powered by authentic, human communication. As Head of Global Communications Tori Ainsworth said
“The fact we were honest in our comms with employees was powerful.”
Shell’s story embodied the conference’s theme perfectly: when culture moves at the pace of business strategy, organizations can truly exceed the pace of change.
The day ended with the Unite awards – a celebration of our customers who’ve delivered connection, business impact and a whole lot more. Keep an eye out for our upcoming blogs where we’ll spotlight our winners even more!
Looking ahead
Day 2 reminded us that charisma, communication, and courage aren’t just soft skills: They’re critical drivers of transformation.
As Unite 25 draws to a close, one truth stands out: The future of work belongs to those who can unite people and purpose, at pace.
Change isn’t slowing down – but neither are we.
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