Article published by inComms, 26 September 2025

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When corporate affairs leaders are actively engaged with strategic planning and financial decision-making, everybody wins.

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In some boardrooms I see corporate affairs undergo a quiet but profound transformation. Once seen largely as a function for managing press releases and stakeholder communications, it is increasingly recognised as a strategic enabler — a critical bridge between a company’s long- term ambitions, its financial realities, and the expectations of regulators, investors and society.

Yet for many organisations, corporate affairs can still struggle to secure influence at the CEO and board level. In a climate where businesses are contending with the impact of artificial intelligence, ESG scrutiny, shifting regulation, activist shareholders and heightened public expectations, boards need more than messaging; they need insight. To remain relevant, the Corporate Affairs Director must work far more closely with the Strategy and Finance Directors to form a triangulated leadership model capable of shaping decisions, not just communicating them. Strategy is only as good as its execution and the funding that underpins it, while corporate affairs messages and stakeholder engagement must match the organisation’s true investment priorities. Without that alignment, external messages ring hollow.

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The UK Context: Governance, Scrutiny and Stakeholder Trust

The demands on UK boards have grown sharply. The UK Corporate Governance Code places increasing emphasis on stakeholder engagement, ESG transparency and long-term sustainable success. Investors expect more clarity on corporate purpose, while regulators are sharpening their focus on climate reporting, risk oversight and non-financial disclosures. This shifting landscape has elevated the importance of corporate affairs. CEOs and boards need a clear view of stakeholder sentiment, reputational risks and public policy developments — areas where corporate affairs is uniquely positioned to provide intelligence. But without deep integration with strategy and finance, this intelligence rarely shapes decision-making effectively.

Why Integration Is Now a Strategic Imperative

Strategy sets the direction. Finance funds the journey. Corporate affairs builds the trust and clears the path to get there. Yet many organisations still allow these functions to operate in silos, undermining their ability to act cohesively and credibly.

Consider a UK-listed company exploring an expansion into a European market. The strategy team might define the opportunity and competitive positioning, while the finance function models the investment and return profile. But success today depends equally on stakeholder acceptance. Without early involvement from corporate affairs — managing regulatory engagement, investor communications and media narratives — even the most commercially sound plans can meet resistance from policymakers, investors or the public.

The same dynamic applies to restructuring programmes, ESG commitments and mergers and acquisitions. Corporate affairs can only influence outcomes when it has a seat at the strategy table from the outset, embedding reputational and stakeholder considerations directly into strategic and financial planning.

Investor Confidence and Financial Credibility

Investor relations increasingly sit at the intersection of finance and corporate affairs. The rise of activist investors, combined with heightened scrutiny from institutional shareholders, means corporate narratives must be grounded in financial credibility.

Corporate Affairs Directors can no longer afford to be detached from financial performance. Earnings calls, capital raising and shareholder communications demand close collaboration with the Finance Director to ensure market-facing messages are consistent, transparent and aligned with forecasts. When finance and corporate affairs work in tandem, they strengthen investor trust and reduce the risk of conflicting narratives — a particularly acute challenge in volatile sectors such as energy, banking, pharmaceuticals and telecoms, where regulatory and reputational sensitivities are high.

The Board-Level Advantage of Triangulated Leadership

For the CEO and non-executive directors, a triangulated model linking corporate affairs, strategy and finance delivers three critical advantages.

First, it provides a holistic perspective on risk. Boards are now held accountable not only for financial results but also for ESG performance, workforce practices and regulatory compliance. By combining strategic insights, financial analysis and stakeholder intelligence, businesses can better anticipate reputational vulnerabilities and act before crises escalate.

Second, it strengthens stakeholder trust. Whether engaging with government bodies, investor groups or employees, aligned messaging ensures that the company speaks with a single, credible voice.

Finally, it accelerates decision-making. In fast-moving environments — from activist campaigns to regulatory inquiries — boards require rapid, coordinated responses. The triangulated model allows leadership teams to move decisively without compromising accuracy or trust.

Repositioning Corporate Affairs as a Strategic Advisor

For corporate affairs leaders seeking greater relevance, the path forward is to move beyond the traditional boundaries of communications and become deeply embedded in both strategic planning and financial decision-making. This begins by securing early involvement in the formulation of corporate strategy, rather than being brought in after the fact to “package” decisions. It also means developing fluency in financial language, allowing corporate affairs to explain performance, risks and opportunities in ways that resonate with analysts, investors and regulators.

Critically, corporate affairs should provide the CEO and board with intelligence that goes beyond sentiment analysis and media coverage. This includes insights into evolving policy landscapes, stakeholder pressures and societal expectations that could shape strategic choices.

A Seat at the Table

In an era where reputation, regulation and returns are tightly interwoven, corporate affairs is uniquely placed to act as a strategic integrator. But influence at board level will not come from communications alone; it will come from being able to shape outcomes through collaboration with strategy and finance.

UK boards, under growing pressure to demonstrate transparency, resilience and stakeholder engagement, should view this integration as a competitive advantage. When these three functions work as one, businesses create a strategic triangle that delivers clearer decisions, stronger investor confidence and sustained long-term value.

In this new paradigm, the role of corporate affairs is not simply to tell the company’s story — it is to help write it.