Corporate Affairs: The road to 2030

The 2026 Corporate Affairs (CA) Report reveals a function operating in a radically different and unpredictable era, marked by geopolitical volatility, rapid AI advancements, and declining institutional trust. This environment is exposing the limitations of legacy CA operating models, prompting a wave of transformation across this important corporate function.

Key Findings:

Transformation is Widespread: 83% of CA functions are undergoing significant change, with 66% restructuring operating models and 49% focusing on cost efficiencies and capability uplift.

Shift to Performance Focus: There's a recalibration from purpose-driven communication towards performance, with 43% of CA leaders now identifying their function as a "growth driver" - a significant increase from previous years. CEOs are increasingly demanding commercially driven CA functions with a strong command of business drivers and strategic risk.

AI as a Strategic Imperative: While 95% of CA leaders prioritise AI upskilling, only 24% currently have a formal AI strategy. Most are in an exploratory phase, using AI for content creation and efficiency. Challenges include strategic clarity, cultural resistance, and data fragmentation, but AI is seen as a transformative force that will reshape operating models by 2030.

Evolving Leadership and Capabilities: CA leaders are actively reshaping team capabilities, with commercial understanding, strategy, agility, AI, and storytelling being the most sought-after skills. Although there's a slight drop in ExCo presence (from 73% to 64%), proximity to decision-making and CEO access remains high, underscoring CA's continued influence.

Measurement Challenges Persist: While 69% still rely on conventional reputational metrics, there's a growing, albeit slower, adoption of strategic (50%) and economic (26%) indicators to demonstrate value.

Future Outlook (2030):

The research outlines two potential futures: an elevated advisory role or a communications utility, depending on CA's ability to consistently demonstrate tangible economic value. The report’s overall conviction is that CA will emerge stronger and more central to value creation.