The 3 qualities companies want in their next chief communications officer
From a spirit of collaboration to boardroom readiness.
Chief communications officers are becoming even more indispensable.
Last year, 47% of CCOs reported to the CEO, up from 40% who said the same in 2023, according to executive search firm Korn Ferry, which surveyed a sample of CCOs who work at Fortune 500 companies.
As CCOs gain more prominence and influence with the chief executive, the characteristics companies are looking for in their top communicator are also evolving. Below, Peter McDermott, who leads Korn Ferry’s corporate affairs practice, lists the three qualities companies are looking for in their next chief communications officer.
- Business acumen
Chief communication officers must know how the business works. They must understand where money comes from, in terms of sales, and where it goes, in terms of costs and profits.
They also must be able to articulate how their efforts are driving the business forward, evaluating risk and making tough decisions along the way.
“Anyone who lacks the know-how to tie together the financial and commercial objectives with communications is failing,” said McDermott.
- Collaboration and integration
Additional figures from Korn Ferry’s 2025 survey of Fortune 500 CCOs reveal a wide range of duties. More than nine in 10 CCOs oversee executive communications, crisis management, media relations and internal communications. Around 8 in 10 also manage social and digital media. About one-third are responsible for data, analytics and measurement.
Given the large remit, CCOs must excel at getting along with others. On any given day, chances are they’re facing issues coming from a variety of directions impacting different parts of the business.
“It’s the same things I tell my kindergartner,” said McDermott.
McDermott added that simply knowing how to plan ahead, align strategies and seek out opportunities for partnership with other departments are increasingly valuable for CCOs.
This trait does, however, require a healthy dose of self-awareness. Sometimes it’s better to assert your ideas, while other times it’s better to be quiet and listen.
- Boardroom ready
The final quality involves possessing an executive presence. It’s credibility. It’s gravitas. It’s the ability to walk into the CEO’s office and get your point across in a couple of minutes.
“Chief communications officers, more often than not, are in the boardroom and no longer giving talking points to someone else,” said McDermott.
Indeed, Korn Ferry’s data shows 51% of CCOs now belong to the executive committee or a similar senior leadership group.
And this doesn’t simply mean sharing a point of view and then taking orders, whatever the boss might decide. It’s a willingness to disagree and push back when necessary, too.
Honorable mention: AI expertise
McDermott added that companies increasingly want their CCO to be well-versed in all things AI. He said that while exceptions exist, it’s “extremely rare for a chief communications officer to be a true AI expert.”
Those who excel in AI adoption and implementation, however, are in demand as companies look to embrace the technology to make their business better, whether that mean greater efficiency or more precise insights that inform future strategies.
“You can’t be afraid of it,” said McDermott. “It’s going to come up. Learn how to talk about it.”
Korn Ferry’s 2025 data indicates the majority of CCOs are using AI tools for content creation, media monitoring and internal employee communications.
Ultimately, McDermott added that every company will take a slightly different approach to what they want in a CCO, depending on their competition and industry. Many skills are in demand, from putting out fires to knowing what’s coming next in geopolitics.
As he put it: “The list is endless when you look at what gets thrown to this function on a day-to-day basis.”
