Lena Köhne, Head of Communications at Surventis, discusses the successful brand launch following the company's carve-out from BASF, the growing demand for fast, precise, and authentic communications, and how AI and data driven practices can enable communications teams to produce less content while achieving greater impact.
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?
The carve-out of Surventis from BASF and its launch as an independent company was the most defining project of my career to date. Within eight months, we created and introduced an entirely new brand, rebuilt the website in three months, and elevated a corporate identity with more than 130 years of history to a new level.
Even we were surprised by the results from the first few weeks: a total media reach of more than one billion within the first seven days, a LinkedIn engagement rate 217% higher than that of our main competitors in the coatings market, and almost 5,500 colleagues participating in the launch events either in person or online. Within just a few months, a corporate division became an independent and highly visible brand. As a communications professional, this is the kind of project you live for. Seeing colleagues around the world embrace and celebrate the new brand makes us incredibly proud as a team.
2. What might surprise comms leaders in the next two years?
Two things in particular. First, how quickly speed, precision, and authenticity will all become standard expectations. Response times are expected to decrease without compromising the depth of the content — and every piece of communication also needs a core, a heart that is genuine and distinctive, not just a generic patchwork of text fragments. This is exactly where it gets tight, because resources aren't growing at the same pace. Quite the opposite — we need smaller teams to develop significantly further so they're fit for these new ways of working.
Second, communications relating to change and restructuring will become part of everyday work for every team rather than an exceptional situation. Those who lack this capability will face significant challenges in the years ahead.
3. What is something you believe about AI in the communications industry that some communication professionals probably would disagree with?
AI will take over most writing tasks, and I see that as a positive development. I do not share the concern that this will result in organisations losing their voice. A distinctive voice comes from a clear position and consistent principles, not from typing every word manually.
I take a more critical view of how the time saved through AI is being used. Most teams are currently producing more content in less time. The real value lies in creating less but better content and working in a much more connected way. Strong writing skills alone are no longer sufficient. What communications professionals need above all is a mindset built around data sources and how to manage them: How do I feed AI the right background knowledge? What factual foundation do I need, and where do I source it? Without that, even the best AI stays mediocre.
This requires a very different range of capabilities. An excellent understanding of language and nuance remains essential, but it must be complemented by strong analytical and project management skills.
4. What is the biggest benefit of using the Meltwater platform for your team?
Naturally, we want to understand the impact of our work. Here too, the key benefits include connected collaboration across the team, access to data, targeted distribution, and the time saved through daily monitoring. This is vital not only during a year of significant change, such as a carve-out, but a compass for good work.
About Lena Köhne
Lena Köhne is Head of Communications and a member of the Executive Leadership Team at Surventis, an international coatings technology company headquartered in Münster. In 2026, she was responsible for the complete brand and communications launch of Surventis following its carve-out from BASF. Previously, she led global communications at BASF Coatings and at SMS group, a global mechanical and plant engineering company.
