#WeLeadComms: Aviva Sapir

Israel-based communication leader Aviva Sapir is today’s #WeLeadComms honoree.

In her words:

“I fell into PR over five years ago by chance, and it was immediately clear that it was a perfect fit, combining my previous work experience in advertising and writing/editing, along with my natural drive to connect with people. I was looking for work in a company that was doing something that felt meaningful, and working in healthtech was exactly that! Working in a field that’s so dynamic (especially befitting the ADHDers among us), in an industry that’s inspiring and constantly forces me to learn new things and push the ol’ mind a bit (like the science behind drug discovery!) translates to a very fulfilling profession. 

“About two years ago, I left a local branch of a big global agency to direct the healthtech division of a very small boutique agency, and I love the ability I now have to be more independent while also being part of something small but mighty. Corporate PR is often filled with many processes and hierarchies—which definitely provide their own value and additional support—but when you cut back some of it, you learn you can get a lot done with less, enabling you to focus more on getting results than the process on the way. 

“What I enjoy most about PR, and probably where I thrive best, is media relations. Building relationships with reporters (as well as with clients and PR peers!) is what keeps me going and makes my work more enjoyable, gives me deeper strategic insight and understanding of who to pitch what to, and opens doors to many valuable opportunities for my clients.  

“I realized very quickly that the reporter–PR professional relationship is exactly that, a relationship. As the ratio of PR execs to journalists is only growing and growing, and newsrooms are shrinking and shrinking, the importance of relationships has only become more evident. Pitching ≠ sales, even though it can feel that way sometimes. Reporters are looking for quality stories and experts and easy to work with resources, so connecting with reporters in the industry, learning their needs, and making yourself consistently useful is really the best way forward.

“My ambitions? To support more and more companies doing incredible things for health and humanity, to meet more and more reporters/podcast hosts/Substack writers/event coordinators in the space, and to never ever lose the passion that drives my work and makes me love my job!”

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