As communications teams face growing scrutiny from CEOs and boards, one question is becoming unavoidable: what is the real business value of Corporate Affairs today?
On Thursday 26 February at 1pm GMT, epresspack will host the third edition of its Expert Pack webinar series, featuring Greg Dawson, one of the UK's most experienced corporate affairs leaders.
This session will move beyond tactics and trends to tackle a more fundamental issue: how Corporate Affairs can evolve from a reactive function into a strategic driver of growth.
Why Corporate Affairs is at a crossroads
Across many organisations, Corporate Affairs is under pressure. Roles are disappearing from executive committees, budgets are tightening and teams are increasingly defined by reactive issue management rather than strategic influence.
According to Greg Dawson, this isn't accidental.
Too often, Corporate Affairs has become disconnected from the growth priorities that dominate executive agendas. While CEOs are focused on revenue, efficiency, talent and long-term resilience, communications teams are pulled into ever more complex issue cycles - without a clear line of sight to business outcomes.
The result? A function that is busy, but not always seen as essential.
From reputation protection to transformation
In this Expert Pack session, Greg will challenge conventional thinking about Corporate Affairs and argue for a fundamental shift in mindset.
Rather than asking “How do we communicate the company?”, he believes leaders should be asking:
“How do we help transform the company — and its role in the world?”
Drawing on senior leadership roles across DS Smith, Ford, Samsung, Virgin Atlantic, Travelodge and Sainsbury's, Greg will explore how Corporate Affairs can:
Align more closely with CEO and board priorities
Use narrative and reputation as enablers of growth
Connect company stories to the global conversations that matter
Reposition the function as a driver of momentum, not just a risk manager
A central focus of the session will be Greg's experience transforming the corporate narrative at DS Smith, where he helped elevate a low-visibility B2B organisation into a recognised voice on the circular economy, sustainability and innovation.
The evolution of the Expert Pack series
This webinar marks a natural progression in epresspack's Expert Pack series.
Expert Pack #1 explored how journalism is changing and what that means for PR
Expert Pack #2 examined the shift from press office to content hub
Expert Pack #3 now asks the most strategic question of all:
How does communications earn its place at the executive table?
By focusing on leadership, influence and growth, this session is designed for senior practitioners who already understand the mechanics of modern communications - and want to ensure their function remains relevant, trusted and impactful.
What attendees will gain
This session is aimed at senior communications and corporate affairs leaders who want to:
Understand why Corporate Affairs is losing influence - and how to reverse it
Learn how narrative and reputation can support growth objectives
See how proactive storytelling outperforms reactive communications
Explore what modern operating models mean for leadership, not just output
Above all, it will offer a candid, experience-led perspective on what Corporate Affairs must become in order to thrive.
Event details
Webinar: From Reactive to Strategic: How Corporate Affairs Drives Growth
Speaker: Greg Dawson, FTSE100 Director of Corporate Affairs & Sustainability, Jackdaw Advisory
Date: Thursday 26 February
Time: 1:00pm GMT
Format: Live webinar with Q&A
Expert Pack is the webinar series from epresspack, bringing together senior voices from communications, PR and media to explore how the discipline is evolving — and what leaders need to do differently.
