EPL NAGRADA - PANEL

Guest PANELMay 3, 2026

PANEL

About this episode

What you'll hear in this conversation

The perception of business communication has shifted dramatically. What was once seen as a tactical function, often relegated to media relations, is now an essential strategic imperative, critical for an organization's resilience and future direction. This panel explores that evolution, drawing on diverse perspectives from academia, corporate leadership, and the non-profit sector. You will hear how companies like Ericsson Nikola Tesla embed communication into their decades-long transformations, how academics chart its rise from an obscure topic to a core discipline, and how even audit firms like PwC rely on internal communication to build trust and rally a young workforce. The discussion offers a clear view of why communication is now "either strategic or it is nothing," and what that means for navigating an increasingly uncertain tomorrow.

Insights from the conversation

What to take from this episode

Ericsson Nikola Tesla's 75 years of continuous transformation from a manufacturing company to an ICT leader demonstrates that a structured, long-term approach to communication is not merely an add-on but a fundamental pillar of sustained organizational resilience. When a company reinvents itself over decades, its communication framework must evolve with it.

ESG isn't just a regulatory burden; it's a framework for "business hygiene" that Antonija Lončar highlights as an opportunity for additional contributions. For publicly traded companies and technology providers, it fosters higher standards and allows them to actively shape industry transformation, moving beyond compliance to genuine impact.

The launch of Ericsson Nikola Tesla's new visual identity after 75 years underscores the strategic depth required for brand communication. It's about embedding the organization's essence, strengths, and future aspirations into every brand element, ensuring authenticity and reach across all audiences from the very start.

Ana Tkalac Verčič recalls her professor's reaction 27 years ago to her desire to write a doctorate on public relations: "Are you crazy? What is that?" This personal anecdote illustrates the dramatic shift in perception. Communication has moved from an obscure, misunderstood field to a recognized strategic necessity, a change driven more by organizational understanding than by academic theory alone.

For Tkalac Verčič, communication is now "either strategic or it is nothing." Reducing public relations or business communication solely to media relations or publicity is a significant mistake. Organizations that fail to grasp this strategic imperative will pay a heavy price in an interconnected world.

PwC's John Gašparac, from the audit and tax sector, emphasizes internal communication for their 300+ employees, especially a younger demographic. He notes that "nobody wants to receive a long email," leading them to use short video messages for conveying strategy. For complex organizations, internal communication must adapt to audience preferences to be effective.

PwC's mission to "build trust in society" requires every employee to understand and embody that strategy, making internal communication critically important. Even when external communications are minimal (because "better not to be in the news"), rallying an internal team around a shared purpose is fundamental to delivering on the company's core promise.

Explore further

ScenariosBusiness challenges CardsEducational cards TimelineTopic evolution

Explore further

ScenariosBusiness challenges CardsEducational cards TimelineTopic evolution