In recent years, one of Novo Nordisk’s most well-known products, Ozempic, became the subject of heightened media scrutiny, linked to celebrity-driven weight loss trends and reports of over-prescription. Following several high-profile media incidents and growing public criticism, the company needed to strengthen its communications capability locally and reinforce its reputation.
Novo Nordisk required a senior communications leader to help them:
Build positive community messaging around the company’s purpose and science-first approach.
Reposition the Ozempic narrative in the market following intense media scrutiny.
Step into a newly created Director of Corporate Communications role - with no established team, no existing roadmap, and high expectations.
Navigate sensitive issues in a tightly regulated industry, while aligning with global brand guidelines.
They needed someone who could operate with autonomy, manage stakeholders at all levels, and bring strong issue management experience — ideally with a diverse industry background. While not essential, there was also an appetite to bring greater diversity of thought to the local leadership team.
We ran a national executive search, targeting leaders with experience in high-profile, issues-rich environments across health, media, and government sectors.
Our approach focused on:
Industry-agnostic insight – targeting talent outside traditional pharma roles to bring new thinking and strategic agility.
Candidate storytelling – clearly positioning the impact and scope of the role to attract leaders who may not have seen themselves in pharmaceutical communications.
Cultural and leadership alignment – assessing not just communication skill, but the ability to influence internally, manage ambiguity, and build credibility fast.
We also provided benchmarking and advisory around role design and scope — helping Novo Nordisk refine expectations and attract the right calibre of leader for their goals.
We successfully placed a senior communications executive with experience across multinational corporates, agencies, and health-related organisations.
The appointed candidate brought:
Deep experience in media, health, and community engagement.
The agility to navigate sensitive narratives and deliver rapid impact in a newly formed role.
A strategic mindset and proven ability to shape public perception, manage risk, and align messaging to business purpose.
By partnering closely with Novo Nordisk and tailoring our search approach to their evolving needs, we helped build the communications capability needed to support their next phase of reputation management and stakeholder engagement.
“Great communication with Rachel. Very clear about all aspects of the role and provided valuable insights along the interview process. Flexible and supportive I would recommend Rachel without hesitation.”
Monique, Director - Corporate Communications, Novo Nordisk
“Rachel impressed us from the first meeting. Her natural, professional and authentic manner was refreshing. The quality & quantity of candidates showed Rachel understood our brief and her ability to attract quality calibre of candidate so quickly was excellent.”
Karen, Talent Acquisition Partner, Novo Nordisk