Leading Through Regulatory Change: ACRP’s Blueprint for Trust and Education
Wed Feb 04 2026
In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Meghan Henning sits down with Lisa Townsend, Director of Marketing & Communications at the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP), to unpack what it looks like when an association doesn’t just react to industry change—but leads through it.
As the global clinical research industry prepared for significant updates to the ICH E6 guidelines, ACRP recognized the moment for what it was: not just a regulatory update, but a critical inflection point for education, trust, and leadership. Lisa shares how her team transformed that complexity into a coordinated, member-driven communications and learning ecosystem—earning an Association Insights CommImpact Award and empowering tens of thousands of professionals worldwide.
🎧 Whether your association is navigating regulatory change, industry disruption, or shifting member expectations, this episode offers practical insights on how communications, collaboration, and agility can turn uncertainty into leadership.
Key Highlights
Positioning Communications as Strategy, Not Support: Lisa shares how early involvement from leadership—and a CEO who deeply understood communications—allowed ACRP to plan proactively, align messaging with strategy, and define what it truly meant to be a “trusted source.”
Planning Ahead When the Stakes Are High: With advance insight into the timing of the ICH E6 updates, ACRP began planning months ahead—launching communications before competitors and setting expectations with clarity and confidence.
Members as Co-Creators, Not Just Consumers: From subject matter experts to working groups and community conversations, ACRP leaned into “for members, by members” content—boosting credibility, relevance, and reach.
Sequencing Without Overwhelming: Lisa walks through how the team carefully layered resource hubs, blogs, webinars, tools, and live sessions—ensuring members always knew where to go without feeling overloaded.
When Things Break, Trust Is Built in the Response: A record-breaking webinar turnout exposed technical limits—but ACRP’s fast, transparent pivot reinforced trust and demonstrated what leadership looks like when things don’t go perfectly.
Measuring What Really Matters: Beyond record registrations and downloads, Lisa explains how qualitative feedback, conversations, and community signals shaped decisions and revealed deeper success.
Lessons for Small Teams with Big Mandates: With a lean staff and modest budget, ACRP’s campaign proves that strategic clarity, cross-functional teamwork, and intentional reuse of content can drive outsized impact.
🎧 Tune in for a candid, thoughtful conversation on how associations can lead through change—not by doing more, but by doing the right things at the right time.
Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode.
Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies.
Coming Soon We’re continuing to sit down with association executives and industry leaders to explore what’s working, what’s changing, and how associations are navigating disruption, growth, and opportunity. Stay tuned!
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In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast, host Meghan Henning sits down with Lisa Townsend, Director of Marketing & Communications at the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP), to unpack what it looks like when an association doesn’t just react to industry change—but leads through it. As the global clinical research industry prepared for significant updates to the ICH E6 guidelines, ACRP recognized the moment for what it was: not just a regulatory update, but a critical inflection point for education, trust, and leadership. Lisa shares how her team transformed that complexity into a coordinated, member-driven communications and learning ecosystem—earning an Association Insights CommImpact Award and empowering tens of thousands of professionals worldwide. 🎧 Whether your association is navigating regulatory change, industry disruption, or shifting member expectations, this episode offers practical insights on how communications, collaboration, and agility can turn uncertainty into leadership. Key Highlights Positioning Communications as Strategy, Not Support: Lisa shares how early involvement from leadership—and a CEO who deeply understood communications—allowed ACRP to plan proactively, align messaging with strategy, and define what it truly meant to be a “trusted source.” Planning Ahead When the Stakes Are High: With advance insight into the timing of the ICH E6 updates, ACRP began planning months ahead—launching communications before competitors and setting expectations with clarity and confidence. Members as Co-Creators, Not Just Consumers: From subject matter experts to working groups and community conversations, ACRP leaned into “for members, by members” content—boosting credibility, relevance, and reach. Sequencing Without Overwhelming: Lisa walks through how the team carefully layered resource hubs, blogs, webinars, tools, and live sessions—ensuring members always knew where to go without feeling overloaded. When Things Break, Trust Is Built in the Response: A record-breaking webinar turnout exposed technical limits—but ACRP’s fast, transparent pivot reinforced trust and demonstrated what leadership looks like when things don’t go perfectly. Measuring What Really Matters: Beyond record registrations and downloads, Lisa explains how qualitative feedback, conversations, and community signals shaped decisions and revealed deeper success. Lessons for Small Teams with Big Mandates: With a lean staff and modest budget, ACRP’s campaign proves that strategic clarity, cross-functional teamwork, and intentional reuse of content can drive outsized impact. 🎧 Tune in for a candid, thoughtful conversation on how associations can lead through change—not by doing more, but by doing the right things at the right time. Stay Connected: Subscribe to The Association Insights podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode. Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies. Coming Soon We’re continuing to sit down with association executives and industry leaders to explore what’s working, what’s changing, and how associations are navigating disruption, growth, and opportunity. Stay tuned!