Salon M: The role of public affairs as management tool

How is the role of public affairs in global companies changing in light of current geopolitical and economic developments? This was the central question of our 10th Salon M, also the New Year's reception of the BdKom - Federal Association of Communicators. More than 60 guests accepted the invitation to a discussion with Glenn Schmidt (Vice President Government Affairs, Market Communications Americas, Asia-Pacific, Africa, BMW Group), Claudia Oeking (Senior Vice President Public Affairs, Airbus) and Iris Brand (Global Head of Communications & Reputation, Flix). The evening was moderated by Markus Schindler (Founder and CEO of PANTARHEI).

These are the key messages of the evening:

Public affairs as a bridge between politics and corporate strategy

Glenn Schmidt, BMW Group: “In the past, it was customers who decided the success or failure of a company - today it is increasingly politics. In future, public affairs must therefore not only communicate the company's interests to the outside world, but also represent this reality internally and play an even greater role in shaping corporate strategy.”

Public affairs as the key to geopolitical change

Claudia Oeking, Airbus SE: “The geopolitical environment is changing at a rapid pace. The existing world order is history and the platforms of international cooperation are becoming less important. This has an enormous impact on companies, on their supply chain, for example, on sales markets and professionals.

Communication for social transformation

Iris Brand, Flix SE: “Today, companies operate in political contexts. Corporate affairs means taking responsibility, showing foresight and helping to shape social change based on facts.”