For the second edition of “Conversations with Comms Leaders,” we spoke with Christine Bossak of B. Braun about building credibility through corporate action, the disappearance of boundaries between internal and external communications, and whether AI genuinely saves time or primarily makes communications more interchangeable. She also explains how Meltwater helps her team assess critical media coverage more calmly and respond with greater precision.
1. What was your personal PR highlight of 2026?
2. What might surprise comms leaders in the next two years?
3. What is something you believe about AI in the communications industry that some communication professionals probably would disagree with?
4. What is the biggest benefit of using the Meltwater platform for your team?
1. What was your personal PR highlight of 2026?
My personal highlight was the opening of our expanded production facilities for dialysis machines and infusion pumps in April. This represents an investment of approximately €60 million here in North Hesse, at a time when many companies are reducing or cancelling their investments in Germany due to tariffs and other challenging conditions.
For me, the impact of communicating this development was almost greater internally than externally. For people at a location such as Melsungen, an investment decision of this kind means something different than it does to the media. It builds trust and gives people a sense of security.
At a time when virtually any claim can be generated within seconds, credibility is created primarily through what a company actually does, through what it creates or quite literally builds.
Our role in communications is therefore not limited to formulating messages. We must also recognise which business decisions already convey a powerful message in their own right.
2. What might surprise comms leaders in the next two years?
I believe the distinction between internal and external communications will disappear completely, if it has not already done so. I am responsible for both areas within one team, so I see every day just how artificial this boundary really is.
B. Braun employs around 66,000 people worldwide. In an organisation of this size, no communication remains truly internal. Employees share information, talk about their experiences, and therefore play a significant role in shaping perceptions of our company. We cannot and should not try to control this.
This makes it all the more important to ensure that internal communications are credible, clear, and consistent, and that they align with what we communicate externally.
At the same time, internal communications is increasingly becoming a crisis management discipline. When something happens outside the company, employees hear about it within minutes through media reports, social networks, or private chats.
In such situations, we cannot wait until every detail has been clarified and several rounds of approval have been completed. We must be able to communicate and act within a very short timeframe, even when not all the facts are yet available.
The real challenge is often not a lack of tools. It lies in decision making and approval processes that date from a time when organisations had a day or more to respond.
3. What is something you believe about AI in the communications industry that some communication professionals probably would disagree with?
I sometimes wonder whether AI genuinely saves us as much time as people claim. On closer inspection, AI may simply shift where we spend our time. Writing becomes faster, but reviewing, coordinating, and deciding may take longer because we suddenly have five drafts to consider instead of one.
In a highly regulated industry such as medical technology, writing is not necessarily the main bottleneck anyway. The much more important question is whether we are permitted to say something in the first place, or whether we actually want to say it. For me, the real value of AI therefore lies elsewhere. It gives us a broader range of material to discuss and perhaps debate more constructively. However, it also means that we have to make decisions more frequently. So the question of how much time AI really saves is not quite so straightforward.
I am also concerned that AI could soon make us all sound even more alike. Corporate communications at large organisations is already somewhat interchangeable. Every company describes itself as innovative, customer focused, and sustainable. If everyone begins using similar tools and prompts, this effect could become even more pronounced.
This makes specific stories, genuine proof points, a clear position, and language that reflects the individual company all the more important. Becoming more distinctive again is one of the major challenges where AI may not necessarily help us. Ultimately, it still comes down to people and their creativity.
4. What is the biggest benefit of using the Meltwater platform for your team?
Meltwater naturally allows us to see considerably more than we could without the platform. However, the greatest benefit for us is that we have actually become a little calmer.
In the past, a single critical article could sometimes cause considerable concern within the company. We would often respond somewhat erratically and on an ad hoc basis simply because someone happened to notice that particular article. Today, we can assess such coverage much more quickly, calmly, and precisely. Is it an isolated case, or can we identify a pattern? Do we genuinely need to anticipate a wave of public criticism? Fortunately, the honest answer is usually that it is an isolated case.
As a result, we respond less frequently, but with greater precision. To me, this is one of the most underestimated benefits of monitoring. It helps us decide when not to act.
As a family business, there is another important consideration for us. The company name is also the surname of the owning family. Reputation is therefore not something we assess on a quarterly basis. We need early indicators, not merely retrospective analysis. With its wide range of capabilities, Meltwater provides us with tremendous support. We do not have to identify everything ourselves, and we can make our assessment process both simpler and faster.
About Christine Bossak
Christine Bossak leads the Group Internal & External Communication team at B. Braun SE, a global medical technology company. As part of the Group Communications function, she is responsible for global executive and employee communications, media relations, crisis communications, and communications for the CEO and Executive Board. Before joining B. Braun, Christine Bossak worked for international publicly listed companies in the energy and retail sectors, including as a spokesperson. Through these roles, she gained extensive insight into a wide range of communications requirements, industries, and cultural environments.
