How does the effective and efficient communications advisor think and act? What does effective and efficient communication consultancy look like in practice? And what is expected from the future communications advisor?

This keynote answers these questions and thereby characterizes the mind set, role, competencies and practice of the trusted communications advisor of the future.

The talk is based on a research project including interviews with 54 experienced communications advisors and 17 CEOs as well as 12 focus groups and workshops with communications advisors.

The main points in this keynote will be that the trusted communications advisor of the future has to

• Understand and navigate the business context
• Strategically build and manage the relationship with the people she provides advice for
• Focus on developing more than communication skills

Based on interviews presented in her new book ‘Forskningskommunikation‘, conducted among

57 researchers, 8 journalists and 11 university communications advisors, Gravengaard also points out the opportunities for becoming a more effective and reflected communications advisor – a trusted advisor – when working with researchers and research communication.

Gitte Gravengaard is Associate Professor, PhD, at the University of Copenhagen. Gravengaard’s research areas are communication, communication consultancy, research communication and journalism. She has written several peer-reviewed monographs as well as a large number of peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and conference papers. Gravengaard is the director of the research project: ‘The Advisor of the Future’ and her new book – Forskningskommunikation – on research communication is out March 2020 (with Anders Monrad Rendtorff).