Christopher Hunter-Ward Email & Phone Number

France

France / Uk

Private client consulting on Corporate Communications, Reputation Management, Crisis & Issues Management, Employee Engagement/Culture, Strategy and ESG/Sustainability. Qualified and practicing as a Certified Transformation Coach.

London, United Kingdom

Reporting directly to the CEO and full member of the ExCo. Overall communications director for the leading international provider of roofing and waterproofing solutions, with 10,000 employees and operations, including 120 factories in 30 countries. Directly managed a team of six with strategic oversight of 30 in-country specialists. Key member of the leadership team that reset and reinvigorated the company following a difficult post-merger period.Developed from scratch a high performing communications function (structure, team, internal/external channels, governance). Managed an abrupt CEO change.Designed and introduced a group-wide culture change and values programme.Led the communications around the impact of the Covid pandemic on the business.Co-led the creation of the inaugural Sustainability Report.

France

Provided private clients with communications support, strategy and training. Qualified and practised as a Certified Transformation Coach / Consultant.

Paris, Île-De-France, France

Communications lead for the pharmaceuticals business of this Top 10 global pharma / healthcare group with 86,000 employees and operations in 170 countries. Directly led a team of over 20 located in France and US. Product communications, advocacy, congress & events for a raft of leading drugs including “blockbusters” Plavix and Lovenox (annual sales +$7bn) and leading pipeline assets PCSK9, IL4 and IL6.Group-wide responsibility for digital as well as product issues / crisis management. Member of the group communications and pharmaceuticals leadership teams and head of the Group Digital Steering Committee. Overhauled product communications, cutting agency costs by 20% without loss of performance.Introduced a major reputation strengthening initiative for Sanofi - a digital knowledge sharing / collaboration and recognition platform connecting nurses all over the world with the pharmaceutical industry.Created a new operating model and governance system for congress & events. Also introduced some innovative tools, including an interactive virtual booth.Revamped group’s approach to digital, established 10-strong central team to identify opportunities for digital innovation. Led to exciting advances in clinical as well as commercial practice. Supported integration of the US headquartered biotech, Genzyme, into Sanofi.

Belgium

Led corporate communications and “developing world” product communications at GSK Vaccines. GSK (70,000 employees / operations in 75 countries) is a Top 10 pharmaceutical group, the world’s largest vaccines producer and one of the UK’s ten most valuable listed companies by market cap. Designed / oversaw delivery of a global multi-audience, multi-channel programme that transformed the visibility and reputation of GSK Vaccines, successfully positioning the group as global vaccines leader both in terms of market share and corporate responsibility (GSK has topped the Access To Medicines Index for years).Broadened impact by forging close relationships with external development partners such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, MVI/PATH.Set up from scratch an external communications function for GSK’s Vaccine Division (developing vaccines to fight diseases such as HIV, TB and Malaria, Flu, Rotavirus as well as a new generation of therapeutic vaccines). Introduced communications training for some 150 managers, with extensive media training for a small number of senior executives. IFPMA Advocacy & Communications sub-committee member.

London Area, United Kingdom

Reporting to the team head, a senior position within GSK’s corporate media relations team, with a remit embracing financial PR, broader corporate PR and issues and crisis management. Quickly transitioned from an interim to a permanent employee after leading on the media launch of the successful Phase 2 Trials of the world’s first malaria vaccine, which became a lead news item globally (The London Times devoted its entire front page to the story).Major contributor to the team’s successful campaign to bolster the corporate media’s confidence in GSK, whose share price had struggled in the first few years of the firms existence.The city editor of The Independent described the PR turnaround as ‘one of the most impressive in recent corporate history”.

London, England, United Kingdom

Hired initially to support the in house team driving the company’s relations with financial and business journalists, brief later extended to include leadership of Sustainability / CSR communications and support for public affairs. At that point reported into the Head of Corporate Media Relations and Head of Public Affairs.Key member of the team that rehabilitated media and investor belief in M&S following a disastrous profits slump, due mainly to poor trading by overseas assets. Clear projection of a recovery narrative including the sale of the company’s US supermarket business and investment in the fast growing food business. Member of the team that won a PR Week Award for media relations excellence.