Leadership Lessons with Katy Gwilliam, Head of Global Communications at Veracode

Allyson Kurian, Head of Corporate and Financial at Hanson Search, sat down with Katy Gwilliam, Head of Global Communications at Veracode, to talk about how AI search is putting PR back on the map and why human judgement still matters. Katy also shares how she proves the value of comms to the board and her advice for rising in-house leaders.

What trends in 2026 most influenced how your communications function engaged with stakeholders, media and your internal audience?

AI, without a doubt. From a communications point of view, it has shifted everything toward becoming an answer engine, so we now think about how our communications can address people’s questions directly and help a time-poor audience. We are no longer only thinking about getting clicks through to a website because the answer has become the destination.

GEO and AEO, generative engine optimisation and answer engine optimisation, have arguably put communications and PR back on the map. As well as showing up in traditional media, we are increasingly being cited by LLMs, so earned media has become part of the infrastructure for AI visibility. It has also meant working more closely than ever with our SEO and digital marketing teams, and I think PR is becoming more influential than ever.

Information overload is also an area we’ve been trying to address. Around 24% of adults claim media consumption contributes to feeling overwhelmed by information, while 28% say it reduces their ability to focus. We’ve been working on ways to ensure content is useful and easily digestible, not just available.

Internally, the same principles apply. Colleagues want information quickly and in a way that suits them. They engage across multiple channels, and we need to accommodate that. Using approved AI tools, we can automate some conversations and content across channels, creating efficiencies for both the communications team and the audience.

Which PR and reputation trends do you expect to shape 2027 for in-house teams, and how are you preparing for them now?

The rise of AI search is definitely going to increase. Gartner predicts that earned media budgets will double by 2027, because AI platforms are increasingly pulling narratives from third-party sources, so earned media will become even more important to how a company is discovered and trusted. This will continue to impact how we engage with journalists and communications teams will need to adopt more of an ‘account-based’ PR approach, with highly focused pitching and strong relationships. It’s less about who covers cybersecurity and more about who is actually writing about this specific issue right now.I also think there will be a bigger focus on human authenticity. Gartner found that just 60% of UK consumers trust big brands, compared with 70% in 2021. It is our job to put out content that stands out because it is human and original, whether that is credible third-party experiences, customer success stories or proprietary data that other companies simply do not have and that an AI engine cannot scrape.

Finally, crisis communications will adapt to meet the pace of AI. You can still prepare as much as possible before an issue arises, with playbooks, templated statements, and a core crisis working group to leverage in a real scenario. But you’ll need to be prepared to offer round-the-clock digital crisis mitigation using AI-powered social listening to identify negative sentiment as it happens, so brands can respond in a transparent, authentic, and timely manner.

How have external audiences (media, influencers, customers) changed their expectations, and how is your team adapting?

The big one is speed. Working in cybersecurity, there is relevant news for my team and me every single day, and turnaround on comment opportunities has gone from hours to minutes in some cases. That can be the difference between your expert being quoted and the journalist going elsewhere.

That is why we focus on the strength of our relationships so we become a go-to for journalists, as well as trusting our spokespeople so that communications does not become a bottleneck. That can be quite difficult for some comms teams, but if you have spokespeople you trust to hold some of those relationships directly, it is a win-win.

People can also ask an LLM to summarise something in seconds, so they expect concise, easy-to-understand information. Where communications adds value is with proprietary data and a genuine point of view that isn’t AI generated, providing the evidence and context that AI cannot at the moment. We’ve worked hard to create that connection with people and ensure our communications are more human than ever.

How is your organisation’s adoption of AI affecting the expectations placed on your team?

It is a real positive, because it has taken a lot of pressure off teams and we can produce a lot more, a lot faster. We are focused on the smart adoption of AI and starting to think about LLMs and agents as extra teammates.

On the flip side, stakeholders now expect more, quicker. There is a perception that if AI can do this, then why can’t the human teams, which confuses the cost of producing content with the strategy and judgement behind it. You can produce content very quickly, but you shouldn’t just do it because you can, and there should still be a human in the loop.

Volume is not always the answer either. Bombarding your audience on social media will not always get you the engagement or the coverage you want, and attention spans are arguably shorter than ever. So, we think about how to slice and dice content, because a 30-page report will not get the same engagement as a few short videos and quotes shared on the right channels.

How has your approach to leadership evolved as communications becomes more integrated across the business? What leadership fundamentals still anchor your style?

I am a big believer that it is very difficult to over-communicate and very easy to under-communicate. People get information in myriad ways now, whether that is on Slack, in a broadcast interview, in a town hall meeting, or via email.  It is important to make it available in as many ways as possible to suit the audience.

The other element is giving people context and not only instructions. If people understand why something matters, they can make much better decisions without constantly coming back for more information or permission. I see my role as increasingly about creating the conditions that allow good judgement, so you don’t feel you have to make every decision yourself.

What’s the most significant challenge you’ve faced recently in aligning communications strategy with broader organisational goals?

The age-old question of proving pipeline and revenue from PR and communications has not gone away. Organisational goals are often about revenue or EBITDA, and communications does not fall neatly into that category, so the metrics you work to have to translate up to board level.

We have worked hard to show what ROI looks like, looking beyond the number of articles to metrics that reflect quality, credibility and share of voice. It is not only that we got 200 pieces of coverage for an AI product launch; it’s that those articles are in high quality, reputable outlets read by our ideal customer personas, or that we have 70% share of voice against our closest competitors. I don’t ever pretend that communications owns revenue, but it is about moving from PR outputs to business outcomes.

I have also been seeing more Chief Communications Officers sitting at the executive leadership level. Bringing your communications team in as early as possible on any project sets you up for success, because comms looks at things from a reputation point of view, and later down the line you will know if that is not doing well.

What do you think the modern in-house comms leader must master that wasn’t essential five years ago?

How to sound more human, because AI slop did not exist five years ago, and more importantly how to think more humanly. That means using AI in a smart way while moving from writing to thinking. I did an English degree and have always loved an em dash, and now it has been ruined. I see one and immediately think: “ChatGPT.” Even my punctuation has been AI-washed!

The other aspect is community engagement. In cybersecurity, for example, developers don’t particularly like being marketed to and they get a lot of their information in places like Reddit and Stack Overflow. That means building relationships directly with influencers and using your internal evangelists as brand ambassadors within those communities, creating a two-way conversation and not just broadcasting.

If you were coaching a rising in-house communications leader, what guidance would you offer about the future of comms and brand reputation?

Take every opportunity to learn about all facets of marketing, because comms and brand reputation are part of a much larger marketing engine. I started my career in a PR agency and then moved in-house into marketing roles before specialising in communications, which has given me a great understanding of how those areas work together. So don’t become the person who only understands communications and be deliberately curious.

The other thing is building trust. Spend time investing in relationships across the business, from sales and legal right to the C-suite.  Your internal reputation is just as important as your external reputation, and that takes time.

Finally, be consistent and approachable. What you say internally should align with what you tell the outside world, and employees should never find out critical information externally first. Communication should be a two-way conversation, and once your team realises the job isn’t done the moment a message goes out, you will lead them far more effectively.

Whether you’re hiring top leadership talent or thinking about expanding your Communications team, our team would be delighted to support you.

Allyson Kurian is Head of Corporate and Financial at Hanson Search. Alyson specialises in corporate affairs and financial communications, working across both the US and UK markets. She focuses on mid-to-senior level roles agency-side and in-house, with expertise spanning financial PR, IR and crisis & issues management. 

Hanson Search Group is a global talent consultancy providing executive search, recruitment and leadership advisory services. Built on more than twenty years of trusted relationships, we operate as a connected global platform of specialist practices with expert consultants embedded in key markets.