Kathleen De Smedt

In this episode we speak with Kathleen De Smet, Head of Corporate Communications & Affairs at Milcobel and chair of VONK, the Belgian network for internal communication professionals.

Kathleen takes us through the evolution of the profession: from corporate journalism and employee magazines to a strategic role deeply intertwined with leadership, employee experience and organisational change.

The complexity of internal communication in 2025

At Milcobel, Kathleen works for a remarkably diverse audience:

• deskless employees in production and logistics,

• 37 nationalities,

• many non-native speakers,

• and even farmers who are both suppliers and shareholders.

This makes internal communication more challenging — but also more strategic — than ever. It is not just about informing, but about connecting, engaging and guiding people through change.

Managers: the most important and weakest link

A recurring theme is the role of the direct manager.

The more non-desk employees you have, the more dependent you become on team leads, supervisors and shift leaders to get the message across.

But research (such as State of the Sector) shows time and again that this group struggles with communication: lack of time, uncertainty, too little context or training. Kathleen shares how, as an IC professional, you can better support, activate and guide leaders with toolkits, coaching and clear expectations.

The VONK quadrant model

Kathleen explains how VONK divides internal communication into four quadrants:

• Informing

• Connecting

• Engaging

• Strategic advising

The model makes it clear that internal communication is much more than campaigns and newsletters. You are at once writer, facilitator, trainer, strategic advisor and sometimes even part-time psychologist.

75 years of VONK: from corporate journalists to strategic partners

In 2025, VONK turns 75. What started as a network of corporate journalists grew, through digitalisation, change programmes and the rise of employee experience, into an organisation that supports internal communication professionals in all their facets: knowledge sharing, networking, inspiration and professional development.