How the CCO became the most dynamic role in management
A new report highlights how political shifts, stakeholder activism and accelerating news cycles are transforming the top management communications role.
The Chief Communication Officer (CCO) position in large organisations is evolving faster than any other corporate function, making it one of the most dynamic roles besides the CEO.
This is the key insight from the CCO Turnover Study 2025: Europe Edition, published by the Corporate Affairs Search Alliance (CASA), an international network of corporate affairs search firms.
The study examined 219 of the largest companies across Europe, including the FTSE-100 (UK), CAC 40 (France), DAX 40 (Germany), and selected companies from Ireland and the Netherlands. It found that 37 companies (17% of those studied) made changes to their most senior communications role over the past year.
Political change driving communications leadership shifts
Political change, risk and innovation are the main transformation drivers in the CCO role. These factors are increasing the complexity of stakeholder management and all forms of organisational communication.
The report notes that "stakeholder activism has become more intrusive as news cycles have accelerated," creating new challenges for communications leaders.
Political and management changes such as elections and CEO change are key drivers of CCO turnover. The UK's 2024 election, which ended a 15-year sequence of Conservative-dominated governments, appears to have contributed to the UK's particularly high turnover rate. This connection between political shifts and communications leadership changes reflects the increasingly strategic nature of the role and its alignment with senior management.
Significant national differences
The study found substantial variations in the longevity and turnover of CCOs across European markets.
The UK showed the highest volatility with a 23% turnover rate - nearly one in four FTSE-100 companies changed their communications leader in the past 12 months. It contrasts with more stable markets such as Germany (10%), Ireland (10.5%) and France (12.5%). The Netherlands recorded an 18% rate, though CASA notes this figure may be statistically less reliable due to the smaller sample size.
These national differences extend to tenure patterns as well. German CCOs enjoy the greatest stability, with an average tenure of 5.6 years, followed by France (4.8 years), the Netherlands (4.5 years), Ireland (3.9 years) and the UK (3.3 years). Particularly telling is that CCOs at the UK's 20 largest companies last a mere 2.4 years on average.
The experience premium and hiring patterns
When companies make leadership changes prior experience carries significant weight. Among external hires, 71% had previously served as CCOs, highlighting the premium on proven leadership in this increasingly strategic function.
The balance between internal promotion and external recruitment was almost equal, with 17 companies bringing in outside talent and 16 promoting from within. However, this split varied dramatically by country - France and Ireland relied entirely on internal candidates, while Germany exclusively recruited externally.
Companies typically looked beyond their own industry when hiring externally. Almost all external appointees came from different sectors, suggesting that communications leadership skills are viewed as transferable across industry boundaries.
Role structure and gender balance
Three in five CCO positions (62%) have communications-only titles. The remainder have broader responsibilities, including corporate affairs, public affairs, sustainability and investor relations.
The report identifies progress on gender parity in the most senior leadership role, albeit the dataset is a small sample size.
Women hold 53% of top communications positions across Europe, though with varying patterns. Male CCOs stay in their roles longer on average (4.6 years versus 3.9 years for women), partly reflecting women's greater representation in newly created positions.
The gender distribution also shows clear sectoral differences. Women dominate in financial services, while men overwhelmingly lead communications in property, travel and healthcare (63%) sectors.
Strategic importance remains high
Despite budget pressures impacting other areas, large companies continue to prioritise top communications talent, recognising the role as critical to organisational performance.
The CASA dataset contrasts with reports published by Gartner and Edelman which suggest that investment in the communication function has been reduced since the pandemic. CASA argues that the communications function has achieved and is maintaining its high-level position within corporate structures.
As the world experiences increased geopolitical instability, companies are expected to continue refreshing their communications leadership to ensure they have the right skills and experience to navigate complex stakeholder environments.
CASA has also published a US version of the report analysing the CCO role in Fortune 500 and S&P 500 companies
