Marketing · Chief Communications Officer
Chief Communications Officer executive search.
Retained CCO and Head of Corporate Affairs search across regulated industries, listed companies and businesses with material reputational exposure.
What the role is
A short definition.
A Chief Communications Officer leads the organisation’s communications function — internal, external, media, crisis, and increasingly ESG and regulatory communications. The role has emerged in the last five years as a board-adjacent seat, particularly in regulated industries and businesses with material reputational or investor exposure.
Core responsibilities
What we assess candidates against.
- External communications — media, PR, thought leadership
- Internal communications — employee engagement, change communications
- Crisis communications and reputation management
- ESG and sustainability communications
- Investor and analyst communications (in listed environments)
- Board and executive team advisory on communications risk
When to run this search
Typical triggers.
On a change of CEO where communications strategy is being reset; ahead of a listing, sale or major reputational event; following a crisis or regulatory event; on the emergence of a material ESG or sustainability commitment; on the departure of an incumbent.
How we search
The specific approach we take.
Retained. Candidate pools include sitting CCOs at comparable-scale businesses, senior corporate affairs directors from adjacent industries, and (for regulated environments) former regulators or senior civil-service alumni. Every mandate is led by a partner with genuine understanding of the communications and public-affairs market.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a CCO and a Head of Corporate Affairs?
In most organisations they are the same role. Where distinguished, CCO tends to be broader (including internal and marketing-adjacent communications) while Head of Corporate Affairs is more narrowly external and public-affairs focused.
Do you handle crisis-communications-specific CCO searches?
Yes. Where a client is entering or exiting a crisis, we run a distinct search calibrated to the specific crisis-communications experience required. Candidates with genuine major-crisis experience are a narrow pool.
Can you support ESG and sustainability communications leadership specifically?
Yes. ESG communications leadership is an emerging distinct role, particularly in regulated financial services and consumer businesses. We map candidates accordingly.
How long does a CCO search take?
Twelve to sixteen weeks brief to accepted offer is typical. Crisis or reputational-event-driven searches often run faster.
How is compensation structured?
Base, cash bonus, and (in listed environments or growth-stage private companies) LTIP or equity participation.
Related practice