Here’s a question for the pharma comms leaders: when were you first told you needed to be ‘more strategic’ or ‘more commercial’?

Hands up if, back then, you didn’t have a clue what that meant in practice? I can certainly remember being in that boat.

In 2026, the challenge of working out what it really means to add value as a comms leader is still very much alive.

That very question prompted this month’s conversation with Abigail Epstein, Head of Communications, UK and Ireland, at the multinational Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda. Her view is clear: the strongest comms leaders are the ones who think and operate like business leaders.

She didn’t say that the nuts and bolts of communication matter any less than they used to. What she did say was that in today’s volatile business environment, the highest value part of the role is applying judgement: understanding context; reading risk; connecting internal and external signals, and helping the business make better decisions.

Abigail also made the point that AI has sharpened this distinction. As more process-driven work becomes easier to automate, such as monitoring, campaign logistics and drafting briefings, the irreplaceable value of experienced comms leaders lies in the human side of the job: navigating complex relationships; judging tone; understanding political dynamics and making sound calls in real time.

Comms will always operate in a deeply human ecosystem, which means it still needs our brains to make the decisions that matter.

For UK pharma comms teams that feels especially relevant. We are working against a backdrop of tighter media cut-through, increasing scrutiny and growing pressure to demonstrate commercial value.

In that environment, being strategic means understanding what is driving the business, what risks are emerging and where communications can genuinely influence outcomes, then shaping a programme of work around that understanding.

So how do we do that? For a start, Abigail believes comms leaders need to understand exactly what is keeping senior leaders awake at night.

That means knowing the priority issue on the table while also keeping sight of the bigger commercial pressures and external forces shaping decision-making today and those coming down the line. Without that understanding, it is very hard to advise credibly.

That requires a broader field of vision. Abigail spoke about the importance of understanding financials, growth priorities and the wider company position, while staying closely connected to what employees are thinking and what is happening externally across policy, media and stakeholder landscapes.

Yes, that is a lot to be on top of. But comms leaders are uniquely placed to join the dots between internal mood, external perception and business risk, then explain what that means in practice to various stakeholders.

That is where real influence comes from, and how comms leaders earn their seat at the table: by bringing insight; evidence and recommendations that help the organisation move forward.

I think that is a useful challenge for all of us, whether we are in house or agency side. It asks us to pose tougher questions, seek fuller context and resist the temptation to stay in a comfortable tactical lane.

There is practical advice in this too. Read beyond the comms plan. Spend time with the financial picture. Build stronger relationships with public affairs, internal comms, marketing, sales, medical affairs and other functions that hold pieces of the wider puzzle.

Keep one eye on employee sentiment and the other on shifts among external actors.

And, crucially, get comfortable operating in ambiguity, because that is where much of the real value now lies.

Until next month.