When you're producing materials for life-saving vaccines and cancer therapies, technical expertise is a given. But how do you translate that expertise into messages that resonate with employees, customers, and share holders?

That's the challenge Thermo Fisher's BioProduction leadership team faced as they worked to address employee retention and organizational alignment across their global operations.

Here's how these 25 executives transformed technical expertise into engaging communication, and why it matters for every B2B leader managing specialized teams.

About Thermo Fisher BioProduction Group

Thermo Fisher Scientific, a global leader in serving science with annual revenue exceeding $40 billion, operates through four main segments serving pharmaceutical, biotechnology, diagnostic, healthcare, academic, and industrial markets. Their BioProduction Group, led by Senior Vice President and President Daniella Cramp, focuses on providing critical solutions for bioprocessing, including single-use technologies, cell culture media, purification resins, and bioprocessing equipment.

With recent investments exceeding $600 million in bioprocessing production capabilities and the creation of 1,500 new jobs across 11 manufacturing sites globally, the BioProduction Group plays a pivotal role in Thermo Fisher's strategy to serve the rapidly expanding biopharmaceutical market.

Lab Results to Leadership: How to Bridge the Gap Between Different Employee Audiences

As a global leader in life sciences, Thermo Fisher's BioProduction division recognized that their next phase of growth would require the same level of excellence in leadership communication that they bring to their scientific innovations. Building on their technical expertise, the organization embarked on a strategic initiative to enhance how they share their groundbreaking work across their diverse, highly skilled teams. 

One of the specific challenges they faced was around communication effectiveness particularly during Town Halls, where different leaders need to present complex information about their biomedical products and services in clear, accessible ways.

The leadership team needed help explaining technical concepts in simple language that resonates with different employee audiences and drives internal alignment to improve retention and productivity.

The Perfect Formula: Blending Technical Knowledge with Clear Communication

Thermo Fisher’s communication team needed an impactful workshop during the BioProduction group’s executive offsite at the W Hotel in Nashville, TN.

They brought on Jay and Forrest from Pitch Lab to help them active the following:

• Help technical experts explain their work in ways that highlight business value

• Break down complex scientific ideas into simple, engaging stories that everyone can understand

• Get technical and business teams speaking the same language and working better together

• Make important company meetings more impactful and memorable

In response, Pitch Lab designed a custom, half-day communication workshop focused on transforming technical expertise into engaging communication.

The engagement consisted of two interactive 90-minute sessions as well as post-workshop virtual support to help these 25 leaders adopt new communication techniques:

Session 1: Confident Communicator

The first 90-minute session equipped technical leaders with practical tools for transforming complex information into clear, compelling communication. Through interactive exercises, participants learned to simplify technical language, use effective analogies, and focus on real-world impact rather than just data. Leaders practiced active listening techniques and learned to open conversations with questions rather than statements, helping them better understand and connect with their audiences.

The session culminated in intensive elevator pitch practice, where leaders worked in small groups to apply their new skills. Using a proven framework focused on outcomes, audience needs, and context, each participant crafted and delivered their own pitch. Real-time feedback from peers and facilitators ensured everyone left with confidence in their ability to immediately apply these communication techniques across various business settings.

Session 2: Business Storytelling

The second 90-minute session focused on helping leaders transform technical accomplishments into compelling business stories. Starting with the fundamental power of storytelling in business settings, leaders learned a simple but effective framework: Setup-Conflict-Resolution-Outcome.

The session concluded with hands-on practice incorporating storytelling into slide presentations, moving leaders beyond data-heavy decks to create engaging visual narratives. Each participant crafted and refined their own story about their team's work, ensuring they could immediately apply these techniques in various settings - from town halls to daily team meetings.

Post-Workshop Support:

To ensure lasting impact, the program extended beyond the workshop itself with comprehensive follow-up support. Participants had access to ongoing Q&A sessions, individual coaching conversations, open office hours for additional guidance, and customized frameworks designed to help implement their new communication skills.

This sustained support helped these leaders integrate and refine their new techniques while tackling real-world communication challenges in their daily work.

Breakthrough Results: The Impact of Better Communication

This engagement successfully equipped 25 of Thermo Fisher’s brightest executives with:

• Tools to translate complex technical information into clear, compelling messages

• Strategies for creating organizational alignment across divisions

• Frameworks for crafting effective elevator pitches and captivating stories that demonstrate bottom-line impact

Whether you're leading a global division or a growing team, the ability to transform your expertise into accessible communication can be the difference between good and great leadership.

As Thermo Fisher's experience shows, investing in these skills pays dividends in employee retention, organizational alignment, and overall department success. 

Under the Microscope: What ThermoFisher Said About Pitch Lab:

"The training perfectly matched our team's current communication abilities and growth needs. The immediate positive feedback from participants was fantastic to see, and other leadership teams are already requesting similar workshops for their divisions.

Pitch Lab demonstrated a keen understanding of where our people are in their communication journey and delivered exactly what we needed to move forward."

— Molly Cornbleet, Senior Director, Communications | BioProduction

Field Notes: Key Takeaways for Business Leaders

When planning your next leadership offsite, consider these crucial communication insights:

✅ Technical expertise alone isn't enough. Leaders need tools to translate complex information into compelling narratives that drive engagement and retention.

✅ Communication alignment is crucial for organizational success. Investing in communication skills can help bridge gaps between technical and non-technical stakeholders.

✅ Storytelling isn't just for marketing. Technical leaders who can connect their work to meaningful outcomes create stronger engagement with both employees and customers.

✅ Growth mindset starts with leadership. When technical leaders embrace more dynamic communication approaches, it sets the tone for organizational culture.

✅ Post-training support is essential. Real transformation happens when leaders have ongoing access to coaching and resources as they implement new communication approaches.

Transform Your Team's Communication DNA with Pitch Lab

Our customized workshops transform your team's technical knowledge into real business impact through proven frameworks and hands-on practice.

Learn more about how we help leaders become more engaging presenters and compelling storytellers.