We interview Ed O’Brien, Head of Issues & Media Management in the Global Corporate Affairs team at KPMG

We spoke to Ed O’Brien about why scenario‑planning beats scrambling, how kindness under pressure matters just as much as clarity, and why being truly audience-led is non-negotiable. Ed explained the value of admitting you don’t always have the perfect answer and shared his ongoing disbelief that “good writing isn’t important anymore”. We also enjoyed hearing about the fundamentals which still matter.

1. Can you give us a brief overview of your professional background and what inspired you to pursue a career in communications?

Honestly I fell into Communications slightly by accident, rather than by grand design. After university I did a couple of work experiences in the industry and then stuck around. Most of my background is in consultancy, working at agencies like Ketchum and Teneo, working on a range of corporate communications, campaigning and issues & crisis management. I joined KPMG in 2020, where I am the Global Head of Media and Issues Management.

2. You handle issues globally for KMPG. How do you align internal and external communications to prevent confusion or mixed signals when a situation is rapidly evolving?

One thing I have learned is the importance of pre-emptive scenario-planning. When big, complex issues strike, it is sometimes difficult to achieve organisational consensus on a position quickly enough to satisfy audiences. That’s why communications teams need to constantly be looking round the corner at what they next big issue could be, and work with their organisations to pre-align, even at a topline level, on what the best response could be.

This isn’t always possible – you can’t realistically plan for everything. So another measure is to have a simple and battle-tested process to coming up with the right answers, from understanding which colleagues to speed-dial, to how to leverage experience of previous incidents.

3. What frameworks or principles guide your messaging during periods of economic or political volatility?

One of those easier-said-than-done imperatives is to be relentlessly audience-centric – making sure that, before you compose a single word of messaging, you focus on the interests of your audience, or what is worrying them. The reason this can be hard is that every organisation tends to focus on their own internal priorities and talking points, and turbulent periods make it more important than ever to obsessively apply the “does anyone actually care about this?” test.

Volatile times also tend to be pretty stressful, which sadly can bring out the worst in people. So I’d say that another guiding principle in difficult periods is for comms leaders to make sure they are treating their colleagues decently. High-pressure can create intensity, but it should never be an excuse for unpleasant behaviour. In the wise words of Dr Who, “never fail to be kind.”

4. How do you maintain credibility and trust with employees and stakeholders when you don’t have all the answers yourself?

A big mistake I’ve made (repeatedly!) in the past is thinking that I needed to have a clear “right answer.” Realistically, there are many occasions where such a perfect solution simply doesn’t exist. I have learned that it is often wiser to set out the 2-3 possible paths as clearly as possible, and provide a clear picture of the decision-making criteria between them. E.g. path 1 is safer, path 2 is higher-risk-higher-reward, and now let’s have a conversation about the organisation’s risk-appetite to make that decision together.

A key part of this is asking good questions, building out an accurate picture rather than rushing too quickly to action.

5. What’s your view on AI and what impact do you think AI will have on core skills for people working their way up?

AI obviously has the potential to add significant value in the Communications space, from generating new ideas and delving into the mindsets of audiences to creating content and analysing data. There are definitely a few watch-outs however. Firstly, oversight is, and will continue to be, vital. A number of organisations have been burned by over-reliance on, or under-scrutiny of, AI outputs, and I think we’ll see more and more of this.

Secondly, I’m very interested in how people who are early in their careers will build their skills. Will the layer of automation AI offers prevent people from building their capabilities through the, sometimes dull but often important, repetition of foundational tasks? I’m also conscious that this may be outdated thinking. I was on a panel with someone the other day who said that good writing just isn’t an important skill any more, and I’m honestly not sure I’ve recovered from that comment! As with all things AI, it’s so hard to predict what the future will look like.

6. What are the key skills needed now for senior communications leaders, and their teams, to be successful?

For me, it’s distilling complex situations into streamlined decisions. We are often faced with an onslaught of factors to consider: risks, considerations, priorities etc. I find that often the most value a communications leader can provide is to take this snowstorm and boil it right down – what are the 2-3 things we should bear in mind, what are the 2-3 paths before us, and what should we prioritise?

7. When you hire, what’s most important to you?

I always start with two big questions – are they smart, and do they have a good attitude? Now, there are nuances there; for example there are many forms of intelligence. But fundamentally these are the two things that are hardest to teach. And if someone brilliant has an experience or skills gap, you can work with them to fill it.

I also think it’s important to have a clear picture of your own shortcomings, and then hire people to round-out those gaps.

8. Who is someone that had a positive impact on your career?

One person that comes to mind is a senior Corporate Affairs head who I worked with during a crisis. Something I will never forget is the emotional temperature she set throughout the incident – focused, but warm and calm. She constantly checked-in on her team’s wellbeing, and expressed gratitude for their work throughout. The atmosphere she created led to a really strong team-performance, and I absolutely believe that it would not have gone as well if the person at the top created a panicked, aggressive or flappy vibe. As someone with an innate tendency to “have a face on” when under pressure, I’ve really tried to learn from that experience.

9. Other than the wise words from Dr Who, what’s the best professional advice you’ve been given along the way, and from who?

One piece of advice that I’ve always remembered is “pick your battles.” A former boss advised me to make a distinction between things that aren’t ideal, but are worth letting slide, and the areas where you should commit to making a stand. I’ve always tried to follow that guidance.

10. If you hadn’t ended up working in comms, what was your Plan B?

I used to be very keen on being a vet. But I now have to handle living with a snoring, greedy and frankly deceitful pug, so that’s probably quite enough for me.

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