✅ How the CCO became the most dynamic role in management
Corporate communications, public relations, media and management insight
The Chief Communication Officer (CCO) position in large organisations is evolving faster than any other corporate function, making it one of the most dynamic roles besides the CEO.
This is the key insight from the CCO Turnover Study 2025: Europe Edition, published by the Corporate Affairs Search Alliance (CASA), an international network of corporate affairs search firms.
Political change, risk and innovation are the main transformation drivers in the CCO role. These factors are increasing the complexity of stakeholder management and all forms of organisational communication.
The report notes that "stakeholder activism has become more intrusive as news cycles have accelerated," creating new challenges for communications leaders.
The study found substantial variations in the longevity and turnover of CCOs across European markets.
The UK showed the highest volatility with a 23% turnover rate - nearly one in four FTSE-100 companies changed their communications leader in the past 12 months. It contrasts with more stable markets such as Germany (10%), Ireland (10.5%) and France (12.5%).
When companies make leadership changes prior experience carries significant weight. Among external hires, 71% had previously served as CCOs, highlighting the premium on proven leadership in this increasingly strategic function.
Three in five CCO positions (62%) have communications-only titles. The remainder have broader responsibilities, including corporate affairs, public affairs, sustainability and investor relations.
Despite budget pressures impacting other areas, large companies continue to prioritise top communications talent, recognising the role as critical to organisational performance.
The CASA dataset contrasts with reports published by Gartner and Edelman, which suggest that investment in the communication function has been reduced since the pandemic. CASA argues that the communications function has achieved and maintains its high-level position within corporate structures.
As the world experiences increased geopolitical instability, companies are expected to continue refreshing their communications leadership to ensure they have the right skills and expertise to navigate complex stakeholder environments.
We’ve published a complete analysis of the CASA report on the Wadds Inc. website. It includes a link to a US version of the report analysing the CCO role in Fortune 500 and S&P 500 companies.
Have a good week ahead.
Artificial intelligence
🤖 BRIT AI CAUTION: British consumers are notably cautious about generative AI in media, with 65% concerned about misinformation and 70% believing there aren't enough regulations. Whilst Baby Boomers show the most scepticism, Gen Z displays greater optimism, though 86% of all Brits insist on transparency when AI creates content. Source: YouGov.
✍️ COMMS ASSISTANT: The UK Government Communication Service has launched Assist, a secure generative AI tool accessible to its 2,700 government communicators across 174 organisations. The tool saves users an average of three hours per week by providing quality first drafts while maintaining human oversight, with users reporting that it delivers draft-quality outputs most of the time. Source: GCS.
🔄 AI ADOPTION: Three things we know about AI: (1) Everyone feels left behind when it comes to adoption; (2) Capability is recursive (AI improves itself and humans improve with AI use); and (3) Organised data yields significant value when connected to AI. Organisations should focus strategic effort and investment on organising data and increasing AI literacy. Source: Antony Mayfield.
Management
📉 VALUE DESTRUCTION: Tesla shares have fallen more than nine per cent after European sales fell by nearly half in January despite broader EV market growth. The decline is attributed to a backlash against Elon Musk's controversial political stances. The issue demonstrates the clear link between shareholder value and reputation. Source: BBC.
📈 PUBLIC RELATIONS PREMIUM: Companies employing public relations advisors in M&A transactions generate higher returns than those without support. A study analysing more than 10,000 M&A deals shows that effective communication creates sustainable value, countering theories that it creates short-term positive sentiment. Source: Hard Numbers.
🤝 JOBS IN PR: Direct approaches are still the best way to land a job and get ahead in public relations, and you will never be ready. These insights and more are from Andrew Bloch, who, during his career as an agency founder and leader, has represented some of the nation’s best-known brands, including Coca-Cola and Weetabix. Source: Jobs in PR.
Media
📰 ONE OPINION PAGE: Jeff Bezos has announced that The Washington Post's opinion section will exclusively support "personal liberties and free markets," prompting the resignation of opinion editor David Shipley. This follows last year's decision to cease presidential endorsements, which resulted in staff departures and subscription cancellations. Source: BBC.
🎙️ PRESTON PODCAST COLLABORATION: A media collaboration in Preston shows what may be needed to sustain regional and local media. The Parched Pea podcast, a combined effort between Lancashire Post, Blog Preston, and Central Radio, is returning for a second series to tell the stories of people and places across Preston. Source: Hold the Front Page.
📱 MEDIA REACH: Facebook Channels provides UK publishers with a small but engaged audience, driving traffic and building direct relationships with readers. Major news brands like Reach, The Sun and The Independent are experimenting with the broadcast messaging tool, which allows publishers to share breaking news and targeted content directly to followers in a chat format. Source: Press Gazette.
Social media
🔞 INSTAGRAM GLITCH: Meta has fixed an error that caused Instagram Reels to display violent and graphic videos worldwide, despite users having enabled content filters. The incident raises fresh concerns about Meta's content moderation practices, particularly following the company's recent decision to end its fact-checking programme. Source: Reuters.
The mid-week paid version of this week’s newsletter will explore high performance in management and public relations. It’s an area where there is a significant body of knowledge, but like so many aspects of research in our discipline, it has failed to cut through to practice.
Thank you Andrew Bloch, Antony Mayfield, Claire Simpson and Sarah Waddington CBE and everyone who shares and debates the stories in the newsletter via our Facebook and LinkedIn communities.