Jessica Bayer
Managing Partner, Corporate Affairs and Communications; North American Operating Committee Member
As regulatory pressures intensify and public scrutiny grows, the role of government affairs and public policy teams is evolving rapidly. As a result, organizations are rethinking how these functions are structured – and more importantly, to whom they report.
In a recent LinkedIn survey of 200 professionals asking where government affairs teams report within an organization, the results revealed a near-even split with regard to where the function reports:
46%
report to Corporate Affairs or Communications
41%
report to Legal
13%
report elsewhere
This distribution reflects a broader trend: the increasing need for cross-functional agility. Whether navigating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosures, responding to legislative shifts, creating new industries, or managing crisis communications, today’s government affairs leaders must operate at the intersection of law, policy, and public perception.
Legal will make a case for reporting into Legal, while Comms will voice its reasons for reporting into Comms. Rather than acquiescing to the loudest or most vocal in the room, consider more objective ways to assess your organization’s needs.
Evolving Landscape
Legal-led structures
Many organizations in highly regulated industries have placed government affairs under the Legal department. This made sense in a world where regulatory compliance was the primary concern. Legal teams ensured risk mitigation and alignment with evolving laws.
Communications-led integration
The rise of ESG, growing expectations for companies to serve more than just shareholders, and real-time media cycles have led many organizations to align government affairs with corporate communications. This shift enables faster, more cohesive messaging than departmental approaches, ensuring consistency across regulatory and public channels.
6 Questions Leaders Can Ask
ONE: What are industry best practices among our peers or competitors?
- If peers embed the function in Legal (e.g., compliance-heavy industries): → Legal
- If peers position it with Public Affairs, ESG, or Strategy: → Corporate Affairs
TWO: How centralized or decentralized is our company structure?
- Centralized, with strong corporate governance and legal oversight: → Legal
- Decentralized, needing coordination across markets and external affairs: → Corporate Affairs
THREE: Which external stakeholders does the Government Affairs team most frequently engage with?
- Regulators, enforcement agencies, legal bodies: → Legal
- Legislators, trade associations, nongovernmental organizations, think tanks, media: → Corporate Affairs
FOUR: How does government affairs intersect with compliance and risk management?
- Deeply intertwined, with legal risk exposure and enforcement monitoring: → Legal
- More aligned with forward-looking risk, social license, or reputational risk: → Corporate Affairs
FIVE: How important is alignment between government affairs and our corporate reputation or brand strategy?
- Critical to brand, communications, ESG, or public trust: → Corporate Affairs
- Secondary to compliance and legal exposure: → Legal
SIX: What are our primary goals for government affairs?
- Legislative understanding and influence, regulatory compliance, legal risk mitigation, interpreting laws: → Legal
- Policy shaping, advocacy, reputation management, or political engagement: → Corporate Affairs
Future Outlook
In today’s complex political and regulatory environment, structure is strategy. Organizations that align their government affairs functions with legal rigor and strategic communication will be better positioned to navigate uncertainty, influence policy, and protect their reputations.
At DHR, we help leaders design agile, future-ready teams that reflect the realities of modern governance. Leaders must consider reporting structures and how strategic team design can strengthen organizational effectiveness.
Matrixed Models on the Rise
As the survey data suggests, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, leading organizations are adopting matrixed or hybrid structures where Government Affairs reports to Legal and Communications or has direct access to the CEO, Chief Legal Officer, or Chief Corporate Affairs Officer. Leading Fortune 100 companies strengthen their influence by establishing dedicated Government Affairs Centers of Excellence that report directly to the C-suite.
Strategic implications:
- Speed and agility: Direct reporting lines to leadership accelerates decision-making in high-stakes regulatory moments.
- Consistency: Integrated messaging across Legal, ESG, and Public Affairs ensures alignment and credibility.
- Talent strategy: Hiring managers prioritize candidates who have legal and public affairs experience – especially those who thrived in matrixed environments.
Designing the Future of Influence Together
At DHR, we partner with boards, CEOs, and Chief Human Resources Officers to find exceptional Government Affairs leaders who excel in complex environments while delivering measurable business value. Our deep expertise across Legal, Corporate Affairs, and ESG domains allows us to select talent that not only understands the rules but also knows how to influence them.
Are you ready to strengthen your government affairs strategy? We’ll help you ask the right questions and find the right leaders.
Meet the Authors
Government Affairs Executive Search
Looking for executives who will drive your organization’s success in the ever-evolving landscape of government affairs? We combine our expertise in Corporate Communications and Legal to find the best talent for this key role. With an extensive network of government affairs professionals, policymakers, and influencers, we provide access to exceptional candidates.