The Power of Storytelling in Thought Leadership

Matt Buckley is a communications leader with over 20 years of experience shaping how organizations connect, engage, and inspire. His career spans the technology and insurance sectors, where he has built a reputation for crafting strategies that not only deliver results but also resonate on a human level. Most recently, Buckley served as Vice President and Head of the HP Foundation and Employee Communications at HP Inc., where his responsibilities also included thought leadership. He created and implemented HP’s first-ever global thought leadership program, the Work Relationship Index, which helped redefine conversations around hybrid work and garnered worldwide recognition. Prior to HP, Buckley held senior roles at Liberty Mutual Insurance, Dell Technologies, and EMC Corporation, leading global teams with responsibility for the full comms mix: internal, external, social, crisis, and more. A natural collaborator, he thrives on bringing people together to solve complex challenges, foster clarity, and create a shared sense of purpose. Driven by a deep passion for storytelling and its power to galvanize teams, he believes great communication isn’t just about sharing information – it’s about creating meaningful connections that move people and organizations forward. Originally from the UK, Buckley now lives in Massachusetts with his wife and two daughters. When he’s not at work, you’ll find him cycling, talking about F1, listening to The Beatles, and dancing badly.

Kami Spangenberg is senior vice president of Corporate Communications, Scientific Stature Services and Community Affairs for RTI International, a global independent nonprofit research institute. Spangenberg refers to the three areas she leads at the institute as a trifecta of amazing departments, unified in helping the institute deliver on its mission to improve the human condition by turning knowledge into practice. She has more than 35 years of communications and marketing experience and expertise in strategic communications planning, corporate branding and messaging, and issues management and crisis communications. Working with talented people united in service of a mission for global good fulfills her professionally. That and she must laugh every single day. In 2023, Spangenberg was recognized as a Top Women in Communications by Ragan Communications.   An ally for veterans, she serves as executive sponsor of the RTI Veterans and Allies (VALoR) employee resource group.