INSIGHT
What it takes to be a ‘master conductor’ of corporate affairs – Dutch edition
Amsterdam Panel Event – From Band Leader to Master Conductor
Expanding the Scope of Corporate Affairs and IR Leadership
Panel Members
Kim Larsen, Global Head of Brand, Marketing and Communications, ING
Marike Westra, Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainable Impact Officer, COFRA
Joris Wilton, former VP Corporate Communications and Investor Relations, Just Eat Takeaway.com
The most influential corporate affairs leaders are no longer confined to communications. Increasingly, they are operating across strategy, transformation, culture, policy, reputation and stakeholder engagement, often becoming one of the few leaders inside organisations able to connect the whole picture.
That shift was at the centre of our latest industry event in Amsterdam where a high-calibre panel discussed their own unique career paths and the themes in our report, From Band Leader to Master Conductor. And what made the conversation particularly compelling was hearing from leaders who have actually made that transition in practice.
In many cases, that evolution is also becoming formalised. More corporate affairs leaders are taking on broader responsibilities alongside communications, from Chief of Staff, Strategy and Investor Relations to Sustainability, People and Culture, and Marketing leadership roles.
A huge thank you to Kim Larsen, Global Head of Brand, Marketing and Communications, ING, Marike Westra, Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainable Impact Officer, COFRA and Joris Wilton, former VP Corporate Communications and Investor Relations, Just Eat Takeaway.com, for such thoughtful and candid insights on leading across functional boundaries, building influence beyond communications, and navigating the growing complexity facing large organisations. And also to FGS Global and NEVIR for their support.
One point came through repeatedly. The scope of corporate affairs leadership rarely expands because of title alone. It expands when leaders develop commercial judgement, organisational awareness, and the ability to operate credibly across different parts of the business. Corporate affairs has quietly become one of the most dynamic leadership platforms in modern business – particularly for those with the ambition and capability to work across boundaries.
Read more in our From Band Leader to Master Conductor report.
Are the strongest corporate affairs leaders now defined as much by enterprise-wide leadership capability as by communications expertise?
We certainly think so.
