Dani Barnhizer

About Dani Barnhizer

The most difficult moments in an organization happen when strategy is misunderstood. Even strong decisions can fragment as they move through the organization—priorities get interpreted differently, execution drifts, and momentum slows. That gap sits at the intersection of strategy, communication, and transformation. This is where my work focuses: ensuring that an organization’s most important decisions are clearly understood, aligned at the leadership level, and consistently reflected in how teams operate. Communications doesn’t sit downstream of strategy in this model—it sharpens it, aligns it, and makes it move. In practice, that looks like- Translating complex scientific and business strategy into clear, actionable narratives - Aligning leaders and functions around a shared understanding of what matters—and why - Building the frameworks and operating rhythms that ensure strategy shows up consistently in how work gets done Done well, this reduces strategic drift—accelerating alignment, improving decision quality, and enabling more consistent execution across the enterprise. Because in high-stakes environments, the real risk isn’t confusion—it’s drift. None of this works without people. The teams doing the work need to feel connected to the mission and to each other. Culture isn’t separate from strategy—it’s what determines whether strategy sticks.

Experience

1. Executive Director, Medical Thought Leadership

   Eli Lilly and Company

   Mar 2025 — Present

   Built a Medical Thought Leadership function from the ground up — identifying what was missing, defining the scope, and building the team and operating model to address it- Serve as a senior communications advisor to enterprise and functional leaders, translating Lilly\'s science and medical strategy into credible external narratives that strengthen reputation and drive real-world impact- Built a narrative governance framework, establishing the standards and infrastructure for consistent scientific messaging across functions- Lead culture and internal communications efforts, creating the alignment and shared understanding that enables teams to move faster and show up more coherently externally.

Education

• Indiana University-Purdue University

  Bachelor of Arts, Journalism & Public Relations

  2007 — 2010

• Indiana University

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs

  2008 — 2009

Skills

• Social Networking
• Social Media Marketing
• Strategic Communications
• Social Media
• Advertising
• Public Relations
• Media Relations
• Press Releases
• Copywriting
• Web Design
• Blogging
• Event Planning
• Crisis Communications
• Marketing
• Public Speaking
• Newsletters
• Speech Writing
• Editing
• Digital Marketing
• Web Content Management
• Community Outreach
• Marketing Communications
• Facebook