In today’s dynamic corporate landscape, the Chief Communications Officer has emerged as a pivotal figure, bridging strategic leadership, stakeholder engagement, and societal impact. We asked several leading CCOs to explain how their role has evolved.
Far from its origins as a siloed function focused on public relations, the CCO role now requires a blend of resilience, adaptability, and business acumen.
In the first season of the ‘Always On’ podcast, we asked several leading communicators about their changing role — and discovered, above all, that many emphasize its integration into core decision-making processes and its expanded influence across their organization.
ING’s CCO, Kim Larsen, underscores the increasing demands of the role, noting how the complexity of modern communications has necessitated a shift in mindset.
Traditionally seen as the “fixer” tasked with managing crises and maintaining reputational control, today’s CCO must prioritize empowerment over micromanagement. “We need to move away from the ‘one-man, one-mission hero complex,’” Larsen explains, emphasizing that the role is no longer about singularly managing reputation but enabling teams and organizations to navigate paradoxes and thrive.
Scaling impact is now a key focus for CCOs. Larsen describes how communicators must move beyond reactive tactics, instead fostering resilience and adaptability within their teams and the broader organization.
This means relinquishing control over every detail and instead equipping others with the tools to communicate effectively. “You can’t fix everything,” he says. “It’s not the right way to do it. You need to scale efforts through the organization.”
While the CCO has become a critical part of the executive team, Ben Boyd stresses that their role is not necessarily about making decisions but informing them.
This requires presenting balanced insights that consider both opportunities and risks. “The Chief Communications Officer has to be both,” Boyd notes. “It’s our responsibility to point out the downside—the ramifications of commitments, decisions, or endorsements.”
Boyd — who stepped down from his role as CCO at yoghurt maker Chobani in November 2024 and is on sabbatical — also highlights the importance of integrating communications into the broader business strategy.
Strategic decisions made without input from communications are often less informed, and CCOs play a critical role in ensuring that leadership understands the full spectrum of potential outcomes. By providing this context, CCOs enhance decision-making processes without taking the final step themselves.
The rise of the CCO to the top echelon of corporate leadership has been a defining trend in recent years. Boehringer Ingelheim’s CCO, Médard Schoenmaeckers, notes how the role has matured significantly, with communicators now playing a central advisory role to CEOs, boards, and other senior leaders. “The advisor role has grown at executive levels,” Schoenmaeckers explains, citing the increasing frequency of consultations with leadership on strategic matters.
This elevation also brings greater responsibility. CCOs are expected to operate with seniority, maturity, and a deep understanding of business dynamics. They are not just interpreters of external perceptions but integral contributors to the organization’s strategic direction.
Schoenmaeckers highlights the growing expectation for CCOs to provide actionable insights that align with both organizational goals and societal expectations.
As businesses face mounting pressure to address macro-level societal issues—ranging from economic inequalities to cultural and technological shifts—CCOs are increasingly positioned as navigators of these debates.
Medtronic’s Chief of Marketing and Communications, Torod Neptune, describes this expanded responsibility, explaining that the CCO is now at the forefront of guiding internal conversations about the role of business in a disrupted society.
“This challenge means that CCOs are expected to have different conversations with internal stakeholders,” Neptune says. Whether it’s advising on societal impact, managing technological integration, or addressing economic volatility, CCOs are central to aligning corporate actions with broader societal values. This role as a “facilitator or navigator” of complex debates represents a significant shift from the communications function of a decade ago.
Hasbro’s CCO, Roberta Thomson, highlights how the responsibilities of CCOs have broadened to encompass areas far beyond traditional corporate communications.
Functions such as ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), global events, and corporate branding now often fall under the CCO’s purview. This reflects a growing recognition of the strategic value communicators bring to the table.
Moreover, Thomson observes a positive trend of more CCOs reporting directly to CEOs and joining executive leadership teams. This increased proximity to decision-making highlights the recognition of the CCO’s ability to provide judgment, experience, and common sense across a variety of strategic initiatives. “The essence of the role is evolving,” she explains, noting that the skills communicators bring are increasingly seen as integral to business success.
The modern CCO must also balance flexibility with resilience in an era of rapid change and uncertainty.
Larsen notes that while the world of communications once felt slower and more straightforward, today’s environment requires a willingness to adapt quickly and acknowledge when decisions need to be revisited. “A decision you made yesterday might turn out to be a bad decision tomorrow,” he says. This demands a level of openness and humility that wasn’t as critical in the past.
Being data-driven has become essential. Decisions must be informed by analytics, insights, and a clear understanding of stakeholder priorities. Larsen points out that while it’s easy to react to external noise—such as social media controversies—part of the CCO’s role is to discern what truly matters and what can be dismissed as irrelevant. “Not everything is worth worrying about,” he advises.
Looking ahead, the role of the CCO is set to become even more integrated into the core of organizations. Schoenmaeckers predicts that communications will increasingly move away from being a standalone function to becoming part of the business’s strategic core.
The rise of technologies such as AI may change certain aspects of content generation, but Schoenmaeckers remains confident that the creative and judgment-driven aspects of the CCO role are irreplaceable.
While AI can assist with data processing and insights, it lacks the nuanced decision-making and emotional intelligence required to navigate complex, high-stakes environments.
Looking forward, the CCO role will likely continue to evolve, integrating more deeply with business strategy and serving as a vital bridge between an organization and its ever-expanding network of stakeholders.
This transformation ensures that the Chief Communications Officer remains a cornerstone of organizational leadership, driving informed decisions and fostering meaningful engagement in an increasingly interconnected world.
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