I joined Roche Diagnostics in the week the UK first went into lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. I had my interview in our beautiful West Sussex headquarters and then didn't set foot in them again for another 12 months.The circumstances were unparalleled and I had to build my understanding of the company, our portfolio of tests and platforms, and professional relationships with colleagues across the UK and globally at breakneck speed - whilst working remotely. In addition, from my first week in post, I had to take a pivotal role in navigating the internal and external messaging around Roche's significant contribution to the pandemic response whilst managing the intense media scrutiny this generated. To say I had to hit the ground running is definitely an understatement.Thankfully, I had 25+ years as a professional communicator to call on, including senior roles in national Government (the Department of Health) and the NHS as Director of Communications for Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals.In both roles, complex and high-risk issues which had the potential to cause reputational damage were a pretty regular occurrence and I was responsible for the design and implementation of proactive and reactive communication strategies to avert, or at least mitigate, the impact of any potential damage.What I ultimately proved to myself, in making the leap from the public to the private sector at such a crazy moment in time, is that my skills and experience are transferable - meaning I could add value from day one whilst building my understanding of a new industry and organisation. I learnt about the structure and culture of Roche, the science behind our products and solutions, and the difference they can make to patients, on the job. What allowed me to hit the ground running was my ability to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with a wide cross-section of teams and individuals; to quickly understand complex issues and the conflicting or contradictory requirements that exist within all organisations; to negotiate and manage expectations; and to provide clear and objective counsel - even in the absence of clarity and objectivity.