Blurring the Lines with Monique Kelley at Monique Kelley Consulting and Boston University

This week I spoke with Monique K. who founded her own consultancy specializing in the full range of strategic corporate and product marketing communications for the biopharmaceutical industry. She also teaches at 美国波士顿大学 , and previously worked agency-side at Cohn & Wolfe , 明思力集团 and 万博宣伟 before moving brand-side to Takeda .

Talk me through your career path. How did you end up where you are today?

I just discussed this with my students as we started the new school year. I always begin by saying that I failed pre-med biology in college. I wish I had some grand story as to how I became interested in communications, but it was really a field I fell into.

Growing up in South Jersey, my dad was a professional bodybuilder. I initially planned to become a nutritionist to follow in his footsteps in health and fitness. I ran track at 美国波士顿大学 , but when I tried to pursue nutrition, I struggled with pre-med biology and other very technical classes. It was a track teammate of mine, who is now my best friend, who introduced me to PR.

During my junior year at BU, I took a media strategies class — the very same one that I now teach.? I loved that class, because it was very strategic and hands-on, which suited my preference for understanding practical applications rather than just theory. This class sparked my passion for PR and media.

After graduation, I went straight to New York City and started working at an investor relations firm in their media department. The firm had big clients like Clear Channel and Playboy (though I didn’t work on that account directly). I remember one instance where I had to retrieve the most recent issue of Playboy magazine at Grand Central Station for a client request and felt so embarrassed about it.

After about ten months, I felt like I was ready for a new opportunity to learn and grow. I interviewed with 明思力集团 , and the hiring manager, who became my boss and later even a client, reassured me that they could teach me the specifics of healthcare. He hired me, because he valued my passion for pitching and having resilience and thick skin in handling rejection from reporters. These qualities helped me transition to big agencies like Cohn & Wolfe and 万博宣伟 , first in New York and then in Boston. The move from a large, dynamic New York environment to a smaller market in Boston was an interesting shift.

I spent 16 years on the agency side before going corporate-side. I joined Takeda ’s R&D Communications team and then the U.S. Communications team working closely with the Chief Operating Officer and two business units for about four years total. I was also adjuncting during that time, but two years ago, I was offered the opportunity to move into full-time teaching. I also opened my own business for biopharma communications to continue the work that I’m passionate about.?

You have spent nearly 20 years handling corporate and executive communications at and for different companies. For those who think of consumer public relations only when considering jobs in this industry, can you share more about what working in these areas of the field entails?

I didn’t initially realize that healthcare communications was a field. If I had, I might have been more deliberate about how I started my career path. Instead, I ended up moving to New York City right after I graduated simply because there was an available position. I had student loans to pay off.

When I began working at MS&L, I had major clients in the industry, including Eisai and Pfizer’s Alzheimer's disease medication, Aricept, and Roche’s Xeloda chemotherapy treatment. I remember my boss mentioning to me that I’d be joining the oncology team, and I had to look up what oncology was. I had such a learning curve, but MS&L really helped me gain hands-on experience.? Working with Roche, I interacted with patients who had colorectal and breast cancer. Many wanted to share their stories to help prevent the disease in others. As a young professional, I was initially intimidated to have that kind of responsibility, but I eventually appreciated the significance of my role and what an honor it was.

One woman I worked closely with, who was from San Diego, passed away. I didn’t know at the time, but her husband had sent me an email, letting me know and expressing how our conversations had kept her hopeful. She trusted that her story would be shared effectively because of our partnership. This experience made me realize how communications and media can be combined with purpose-driven work, even before formal DE&I (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) and Social Impact work became prevalent.

I’m now seeing that many of my students seek out that sense of purpose in their future careers. They may not fully understand all of what the roles entail, but they’re already asking about nonprofit work, DE&I, and other meaningful opportunities. It’s refreshing to see this shift in an industry that traditionally focused more on consumer or entertainment PR.

Earlier this month Eleanor Hawkins at Axios reported that chief communications officers are absorbing more corporate functions, based on a new report by the Observatory on Corporate Reputation (OCR). How has the communications industry evolved over the past 20 years? What changes have you experienced in that time?

I’ve observed two significant trends: the integration of marketing and the increasing connection with HR. For instance, around 10-15 years ago, I noticed a shift where the big PR agencies began rebranding themselves as marketing communications agencies. At Weber Shandwick, we were doing work that made my marketing colleagues at Takeda curious. They would wonder how I knew so much about work that was more in the omnichannel marketing realm versus what they knew PR to be - earned media.?

Weber was one of the first agencies to recognize where the industry would be heading and to move beyond traditional PR to integrate marketing. Our mantra at the time, "We Solve," emphasized focusing on the solutions rather than staying in a traditional communications swim lane. It was exciting to see that our clients went from primarily communications to communications, marketing and the C-suite.?

When I moved in-house, I was already accustomed to this integrated approach, which made managing both marketing and traditional communications for various products and initiatives at Takeda much easier. Now as a business owner, I continue to bring that spirit of “We Solve” to the table for my clients.

Additionally, I’ve seen a significant shift towards employee engagement and internal communications in partnership with HR, especially post-COVID. Before the pandemic, my role didn’t involve much of it. However, during the pandemic, it became essential to how we engaged, motivated and connected with remote employees. It became crucial to retain top talent and maintain connections without physical office spaces.

For the first time, many executives who were traditional in their communications began to proactively engage on platforms like LinkedIn and amp up their storytelling.?

During this period, we helped evolve internal town hall meetings to be less focused on financial updates and more on content and storytelling to help inspire employees. We implemented more fireside chats and virtual roundtables, which eventually turned into in-person, to hear from employees. My focus shifted from 10-20% internal and employee engagement to about 80% at one point, and I had to hire a contractor to manage the increased workload as my remit was both internal and external communications.

I often tell my students not to view communications as solely external. There are significant opportunities in internal communications and employee engagement, and this includes on the agency side.

In 2022 you created your own LLC specializing in the full range of strategic corporate and product marketing communications primarily for the biopharmaceutical industry. What advice do you have for people who want to venture away from agency or brand side to start their own consultancy??

My advice is to understand your motivation for owning a business. And to be very clear with yourself and clients about the value you bring to the table. People can’t hire or refer you if they don’t know what you do and who you do it for.

For me, there was an intentional reason behind my decision to become a full-time professor and simultaneously launch my LLC. I don’t have a website or a fancy logo for my business. It’s just me working with former clients and peers.? I’m grateful for this setup, because it allows me to work with people who I consider to be friends and in safe environments, allowing me to focus on the work and the passion I bring to it.

I also see how both careers complement each other. Many of my students value the fact that I’m still actively in the field — I don’t just talk about my experiences from five years ago, but rather yesterday. And I am very plugged into communications from both industry and academia standpoints, which my clients appreciate.

Ultimately, your choice depends on what you want from it. For me, it’s about contributing to a cause greater than myself while working in inclusive environments.

You have been teaching within the Boston University College of Communication since 2020. What are three lessons you hope your students takeaway about this industry?

First, there is something for everyone in communications. My career path has been quite varied, and even in my 40s, I’m still exploring new opportunities.

Second, focus on adding value and solving business or people challenges. This ties back to my Weber Shandwick training and the idea of "We Solve." I recently attended a leadership meeting for one of my clients in San Diego, where I was the only person representing the Corporate Communications function there. Initially, I wasn’t really being brought into the conversation about the topic at hand: launch excellence.? However, once I shared that I ran communications for a U.S. Commercial Operations team, including LX, people perked up. There were some attendees who also asked my perspective on teaching and for advice for their college-aged children. The key is to listen and determine where the unique experiences you have can be valuable contributions to others.

Third, relationships are powerful.? And the best time for building relationships is not when you need something. In fact, relationship-based networking works best when you feel you are giving value regularly more than you are receiving. Depositing before withdrawing. I’m excited to announce that I’ve secured a publishing deal for a book on relationship-based networking. My business wouldn’t exist without the relationships that I have built and fostered through two decades. My very first job at that IR firm in NYC came through a fellow student on the PRSSA executive board, not through professors or internships. I later paid it forward by helping another student, who was also on the PRSSA executive board with me, get her foot in the door at MS&L. That same friend later referred me to Cohn & Wolfe, and so the cycle continued throughout my career. I’ve been pressure testing this concept for years with students and professionals at speaking events and in my classes. Networking is often something that people don’t like, because it’s done transactionally and short-term. But what if we focused on making it more mutually beneficial and meaningful instead?

What advice do you have for the next generation of communicators and storytellers?

Effectively understand different business functions. Just as it’s crucial in communications to understand our audiences and where they consume their information, it’s also important to understand the worlds of marketing, sales, HR, the C-suite and others as well. Understanding their pain points and see what you can do to alleviate them in some way. I often play matchmaker for my clients, helping them to identify industry thought partners who they can learn from and support as well.

Rapid Fire Questions:?

What’s your favorite song right now? The Fire by The Roots

What’s the last podcast you listened to? The recent interview with Marlon Wayans on Shannon Sharpe’s podcast Club Shay Shay

Who’s one person in your industry who everyone should go follow? Paul Argenti Professor of Corporate Communication at Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College

In a world that is chronologically online, what offline activities do you enjoy? Running brings me peace. What used to be coffee and lunch meet-ups with friends and former coworkers are now running dates.

If you could meet one person for coffee, who would it be? My great-grandfather, Reverend Isaiah Kelley. My mother is an immigrant from Tehran, Iran, and my father is Black-American from Trenton, New Jersey. His grandfather was Reverend Kelley. As a Black man in the late 1800s, he graduated from college, raised funds to build a large church in San Antonio, Texas, which still stands today, and married my great-grandmother, who was part Irish. He was even a Mason. He seemed to defy all odds.

In today's world, where inequities and social issues are prominent, having a long lineage of strong family members, including my great-grandfather, inspires me everyday. If he could achieve so much in the 1800s, then I can certainly tackle the challenges of 2024.

What is one word you would use to describe 2024? Opportunity. With every challenge comes opportunity. The opportunity to learn and improve. To do better. To be better. I’m focused on a lot of self-reflection and improvement these days related to this.