Katrina Andrews, Founder/Managing Partner, Andrews Partnership
Geopolitics has moved decisively into the boardroom, reshaping capital allocation, risk and strategy. Katrina Andrews, Managing Partner at Andrews Partnership, argues that corporate affairs leaders who recognise this moment – and act on it – will shape the next generation of boards.
Winston Churchill’s line – “a pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” – has long reflected my own career philosophy. In my experience, uncertainty isn’t something to fear, but something to lean into. And today, geopolitics is creating exactly that kind of moment for corporate affairs leaders.
Corporations are already adapting. HSBC’s decision to fold its global geopolitics team into its government affairs function is one example of a broader trend: geopolitics is no longer a specialist add-on. It’s becoming a core part of business strategy. If that’s the direction of travel, then this is corporate affairs’ moment to lead.
Why now?
Because geopolitical tension, market instability and regulatory unpredictability are now strategic variables. CEOs want advisers who can interpret political signals, anticipate risk and connect global events to local impact. That’s what corporate affairs leaders do every day.
Crucially, very few political or regulatory issues can now be treated as purely domestic. Policy decisions in major markets increasingly shape outcomes elsewhere, meaning corporate affairs leaders must read across jurisdictions, anticipate external reactions and assess how global power dynamics could influence local regulatory, commercial and reputational risk.
Some boards recognised this shift early. Five years ago, Heineken and MetLife appointed regional corporate affairs leaders to their boards in highly volatile markets such as Myanmar and Papua New Guinea. At the time, those moves may have seemed unconventional, but they were early adopters in geopolitically sensitive areas.
Fast forward to 2026, and the conversation has evolved: fiscal fragility and debt crises are emerging as the new frontiers of board-level risk.
What do corporate affairs leaders bring?
Beyond the technical skill set – political acumen, stakeholder intelligence, crisis navigation – corporate affairs leaders bring something else: the personal attributes boards increasingly value. We recently interviewed several corporate affairs leaders who hold board positions and asked them what it really takes to be influential at the highest level of business.
Firstly, our profile of Heineken Group’s Erin Atan highlights the point that boards don’t just want technical expertise, they want people who can see around corners. That ability to anticipate risk and read the external environment before it hits the balance sheet is the essence of corporate affairs. Erin also highlights the value of bringing a fresh, external perspective – something the profession is uniquely positioned to offer.
Similarly, our interview with Matt Crocker reinforces the importance of translating complexity into clarity. Matt, who is a member of four boards, notes that boards value people who can take ambiguity and turn it into actionable insight. That’s the corporate affairs muscle – taking political noise, regulatory uncertainty and stakeholder pressure and distilling it into strategic advice leaders can actually use.
And then there’s Brent Thomas’s perspective on the value of self-belief. He captures another truth we often overlook: confidence isn’t a personality trait, it’s a leadership requirement. He argues that corporate affairs leaders often underestimate the authority they already hold – the authority that comes from judgment, experience and the ability to influence without formal power. Boards notice that and they value it.
Corporate affairs leaders consistently demonstrate:
These aren’t peripheral skills. They are board-level competencies – especially in a world where geopolitics increasingly shapes corporate strategy.
The Andrews Partnership’s analysis of the personality traits of successful Chief Corporate Affairs Officers reinforces this point, showing how the most influential CCAOs are tenacious, resilient and solution-centric. Those that embody this combination of capabilities sit at the heart of enterprise strategy, advising CEOs and boards on issues spanning stakeholder trust, geopolitical risk, sustainability and crisis leadership.
The financial reality boards face in 2026
The case for geopolitical expertise at board level becomes even more urgent when viewed through the lens of the world emerging in 2026 – and the financial implications are impossible to overlook.
Boston Consulting Group’s analysis, Rising Cost of Resilience, makes the point starkly: geopolitics is no longer a peripheral risk; it’s a core financial variable shaping boardroom strategy. Consider what’s happening:
In short, geopolitics is hitting the P&L. Tariffs, trade barriers, debt exposure and capital allocation priorities are no longer abstract risks – they are financial realities shaping corporate strategy.
This is where corporate affairs leaders come in. Your ability to interpret political signals, anticipate regulatory shifts and connect global dynamics to local impact is more than a communications skill set, it’s a strategic capability. Boards need advisers who can translate geopolitical complexity into actionable insight, enabling the C-suite to make informed trade-offs between growth, cost and resilience.
Final thought
Geopolitics isn’t just shaping headlines, it’s shaping balance sheets. And the leaders who can navigate that complexity will shape boardrooms.
So, if you’re a corporate affairs professional wondering whether this is your moment? It is.
Go put the business case to your CEO. And if a Group Board role isn’t immediately within reach, secure a country board seat and create meaningful exposure to the Group Board on geopolitics. That is how influence is built.
