Most organisations are busy doing impactful work — but struggle to explain why it matters, to whom and over what timeframe. Too often, impact reporting becomes a laundry list of activities—cluttered with superlatives and inflated claims—rather than a credible account of outcomes and value. 

This talk challenges the prevailing “laundry list” approach to impact reporting and reframes it as a strategic discipline for business and innovation leaders. Drawing on real-world examples across science, technology and enterprise, Julian explores how evidence-led narratives can build trust, reduce risk and support better decision-making — from partnerships and investment to policy engagement. Rather than focusing on templates or metrics alone, the session emphasises clarity, coherence and credibility. Attendees will leave with a sharper understanding of what meaningful impact reporting looks like — and how to move from listing outputs to communicating impact that is believable, usable and worth backing.