Ellwood Atfield launched its Directors Club with an inaugural event last week, convening senior voices from across corporate affairs to explore how the function continues to evolve - and how it stays essential at the ExCo.

The conversation was clear: influence is earned daily and trust from the C-suite is built through judgement, strategic insight, and a clear understanding of both risk and opportunity. There are certain problems that only a corporate affairs leader can fix, make sure you are the one to do it.  

Key takeaways included:

Corporate Affairs must visibly add value.
Whether staying ahead of news cycles or helping to avert regulatory changes that could impact the business, the work is often invisible – but critical. Being able to articulate that value clearly (especially when it’s hard to quantify in monetary terms) is essential.

Managing up is as vital as managing down – and across.
Balancing internal and external relationships is a strategic act. We’re not just communicators – we’re advisors, translators and sense-makers. Managing your team is only part of the role; taking other commercial leaders with you – not just reporting to the C-suite – is vital to success.

With a new CEO, your track record resets.
Your influence is only as strong as your latest impact. Personal relationships matter, but your role is always to prioritise the organisation’s reputation and long-term health - even over the personal brand of leadership.  

Communications is about action, not just engagement.
Whilst a CEO LinkedIn post may drive clicks, the real measure is what they activate inside and outside the business. Strategic comms must always link back to tangible business outcomes.

The future demands sharper foresight.
The best comms leaders are horizon scanners – using political antennae to read between the lines of policy, politics, and public sentiment. This kind of foresight creates relevance and gives corporate affairs its relevant edge.  

AI can’t replace judgement (...yet).

AI may enhance the speed of a task, but it can't yet replicate human judgement, timing, or instinct – especially when considering strategic engagement or action in a crisis. As the tools evolve, the value of previous experience in the field and emotional intelligence becomes more pronounced.

Geopolitics is reshaping corporate communication.
From Brexit, through COVID, to US trade policy, decentralised regulation and fast-moving ESG demands mean greater bandwidth and deeper expertise will be required. That means corporate affairs needs bigger and better teams to be properly plugged in at local, national, and international levels. COVID proved the power of comms, showing how corporate affairs can engage governments, regulators and media more effectively than many other functions – fast, strategic, and with cut-through.

Only Corporate Affairs triangulates strategy, finance, and communication.
No other function holds the cross-functional mandate like corporate Affairs. It is the catalyst between strategy, finance and reputation. This unique positioning is becoming ever more important. In fact, we expect to see closer alignment – and even integration – between strategic planning and corporate affairs, as organisations recognise the value of joined-up thinking across reputation, policy, and long-term business planning.

‍Size ≠ Influence.
You don’t need a large team to be impactful. Whether in government or global business, influence is about being in the right conversations, at the right time, with the right insight.  

Thank you to everyone who joined the discussion. We’ll be continuing this event series to create a dedicated space for senior corporate affairs leaders to explore the future of the skillset and the function - and how we keep evolving its influence, impact and strategic value.

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