Market Insights
Real policy change rarely announces itself.
Our insights reflect ongoing engagement with organisations and senior professionals across the policy and regulatory landscape, offering perspective on leadership hiring, market trends and the evolving demands placed on policy and regulatory functions.
Latest Insights
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Policy and Government Relations Leadership vs Corporate Affairs: Where the Value Really Sits
Boards and CEOs increasingly ask a version of the same question. Do we need a Head of Government Relations, a Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, or both, and who should that person report to if not the board? The question sounds like a matter of titles. It isn’t. It’s a question about what kind of value…
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What Separates a Policy Leader from a Policy Hire, and What the Best Teams Get Right
Notes from a Policy Recruiter There is no shortage of professionals with “policy” or “government relations” on their CV. The challenge most organisations face when making a senior appointment in this space isn’t finding candidates. It’s distinguishing between someone who has worked in policy and someone who can lead it. That distinction matters more than…
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Policy Leadership in a Converging Risk Environment
Notes from a Policy Recruiter For a long time, policy and government affairs was often understood as a distinct function with a relatively clear remit: monitor the external environment, engage with stakeholders, respond to regulatory developments and help the organisation navigate political change. That view no longer fully reflects the reality of the market. As…
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Global Policy Leadership: The Quiet Power Centre Inside Modern Organisations
For many years, policy leadership sat just outside the main commercial engine of a business. Important, certainly. Respected, in many cases. But often viewed as a supporting function rather than a strategic one. That is changing fast. Today, global policy leadership is becoming one of the most important disciplines inside companies and organisations operating across…
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Where does influence really come from? Is it evidence-led policy depth, or communications-driven public affairs?
In reality I suspect the answer isn’t binary. Evidence-based policy influence tends to carry the most weight when the issue is technically complex (I’m thinking energy markets, AI regulation, life sciences). Policymakers are still forming positions and need credible, detailed input. The risk of getting it wrong is high, so substance matters more than noise….
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The boundary between energy, infrastructure and technology policy is becoming increasingly blurred
Particularly where grid capacity, data centres and industrial strategy intersect. For policy and government affairs leaders, this could be less about a “sector shift” and more about a change in how roles are defined and assessed. What’s changing in 2026 hiring: 1. Policy roles are becoming more operational The strongest policy hires are no longer…
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