Melanie Toyne-Sewell

Melanie leads the healthcare and life sciences (HLS) team of the international business communications consultancy, Instinctif Partners. She has been deeply involved in the biopharma sector, providing financial and corporate communications advice to companies and organizations, including the BIA, for 25 years. She is a passionate advocate of the sector and believes her long experience in communications would be directly relevant to the BIA Board. At Instinctif Partners, she has been a key member of the HLS team for 12 years, leading the London team since 2019. Before then, she established the HLS practice at the Hogarth Partnership, was a partner in the Financial Dynamics (now FTI) Life Sciences team, and was a Director at Merlin Financial PR. She qualified as a chartered accountant at Price Waterhouse (now PwC). Melanie has a BA in Biochemistry from Oxford University. The majority of audiences targeted by the HLS sector are generalists and therefore, the high-tech language often used by companies can create a significant barrier to engagement. Melanie realized early on that she could bridge this gap and has specialized in advising HLS company executives to communicate the business of their science in a way that resonates, without trivializing what often represents many years of research work. During her working career, Melanie has always been a member of the BIA, both individually and as a corporate member. She was also a member of the BIA Communications Committee for c.five years. In her view, the BIA is an essential advocate for the HLS sector, underlining the sector’s importance not only to the economy but also to the long-term welfare of the British people, especially during the pandemic. How it has been communicated has been a key part of this and Melanie would therefore be keen to bring her experience to the Board.