Board Games

In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll dig into new research from the Observatory on Corporate Reputation examining who leads communications and corporate affairs at roughly 1,900 major companies, and who among them is making it onto corporate boards. While the number of communications executives holding board seats has grown over the past decade, new appointments have fallen sharply since 2024. Steve and Craig explore what may be behind that decline, whether communications expertise itself is valued in the boardroom, and why executives with broader portfolios appear more likely to reach senior ranks and board positions. They also examine the distinction between communications and corporate affairs, the rise of legal and policy-focused structures, and why being excellent at communications may still be a valuable career strategy in its own right.TakeawaysCommunications leaders remain rare on corporate boards, with only two new appointments identified between 2024 and 2026 compared with 13 between 2021 and 2023.Board selection may have less to do with communications expertise itself and more to do with broader executive experience, business judgment, and responsibilities that boards already know how to evaluate.Communications leaders with broader portfolios tend to hold more senior titles, but the research does not yet establish whether broader responsibilities lead to seniority or whether trusted senior executives are simply given broader responsibilities.Topics Mentionedcorporate boards, chief communications officers, corporate affairs, board appointments, communications leadership, executive career development, CCO Prime, CCO Plus, business judgment, organizational structure, non-market strategy, market strategy, government relations, public affairs, legal affairs, general counsel, marketing, human resources, policy, social impact, reputation, executive seniority, organizational design, business acumenCompanies MentionedSpencer Stuart, NBC, GE, Nike, Johnson & Johnson, Wayfair, Kenvue, Citibank, Travelers, Best Buy, Microsoft, MetLife, PepsiCo, McDonald’sEpisode Hashtags#SpencerStuart #NBC #GE #Nike #JohnsonAndJohnson #Wayfair #Kenvue #Citibank #Travelers #BestBuy #Microsoft #MetLife #PepsiCo #McDonalds #CorporateCommunications #CorporateAffairs #ChiefCommunicationsOfficer #CCO #BoardOfDirectors #CorporateGovernance #CommunicationsLeadership #ExecutiveLeadership #PublicRelations #ReputationManagement #NonMarketStrategy #GovernmentRelations #PublicAffairs #OrganizationalDesign #ExecutiveCareer #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetworkCommunication Breakdown is a production of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation.Hosted by Craig Carroll and Steve Dowling.Produced in partnership with Advocast Leadership Advisory and  Shawn P Neal.For questions, feedback, or episode suggestions, reach out at [email protected]

In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine how companies can adjust their Washington strategies while maintaining credibility with employees and customers. Craig shares research across roughly 845 companies that found limited public communication about the midterms, with most statements focused on business implications rather than civic participation. Steve and Craig explore the consequences of political alignment, corporate silence, and commitments that remain on the public record long after companies stop discussing them. They outline how communications audits, employee conversations, and routine narrative governance can help companies explain what’s changing, what still stands, and why.TakeawaysLimited public communication about voting support doesn’t establish that companies discontinued benefits or stopped communicating internally. Favorable policy decisions and approved deals don’t establish stakeholder trust. Earlier commitments remain part of a company’s public record. Topics Mentioned2026 midterms, corporate political alignment, civic participation, employee voting benefits, corporate silence, stakeholder trust, corporate values, congressional oversight, communications audits, narrative accretion, narrative governance, operational sequence integrity, employee communication, investor communication, diversity commitments, artificial intelligence, corporate reputationCompanies MentionedThe Economist, Axios, Forbes, LinkedIn, Lyft, Patagonia, PayPal, PBS, OpenAI, Target, Costco, Exxon, Disney, The New York TimesEpisode Hashtags#TheEconomist #Axios #Forbes #LinkedIn #Lyft #Patagonia #PayPal #PBS #OpenAI #Target #Costco #Exxon #Disney #TheNewYorkTimes #CommunicationBreakdown #CorporateCommunications #PublicRelations #CorporateReputation #Midterms2026 #CorporateValues #StakeholderTrust #EmployeeCommunications #NarrativeGovernance #CongressionalOversight #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetworkCommunication Breakdown is a production of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation.Hosted by Craig Carroll and Steve Dowling.Produced in partnership with Advocast Leadership Advisory and  Shawn P Neal.For questions, feedback, or episode suggestions, reach out at [email protected]

In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll react to You Can See Everything, Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s documentary following Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes in the weeks before she reported to federal prison. They examine Holmes’ apparent attempt to humanize herself and reshape her reputation through extraordinary access, and why access without a clear narrative or credible evidence can create more scrutiny instead. The conversation explores transparency as a communications strategy, the difference between controlling a story and completing one, and what happens when claims, operational reality, and public perception stop lining up. For communications leaders, the film becomes a case study in reputation rehabilitation, media strategy, narrative governance, and the limits of transparency when trust has already collapsed.TakeawaysAccess and transparency need a defined outcome. Humanizing a leader after a reputational crisis requires more than personal access. Controlling the environment does not mean controlling the narrative. Topics MentionedElizabeth Holmes, Theranos, You Can See Everything, Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim, documentary filmmaking, reputation rehabilitation, transparency, radical transparency, media relations, narrative control, narrative governance, credibility, trust, scrutiny, corporate communications, public relations, executive communications, reputation management, claims, developmental warrant, evidence, perception, operational reality, media strategy, interview management, outcome goals, performance goals, narrative coherenceCompanies MentionedTheranos, Hulu, New York Times, A24Episode Hashtags#Theranos #Hulu #NewYorkTimes #ElizabethHolmes #YouCanSeeEverything #NathanFielder #LanceOppenheim #CorporateCommunications #PublicRelations #CorporateReputation #ReputationManagement #Transparency #RadicalTransparency #MediaRelations #NarrativeStrategy #NarrativeGovernance #Credibility #Trust #ExecutiveCommunications #CrisisCommunications #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetworkCommunication Breakdown is a production of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation.Hosted by Craig Carroll and Steve Dowling.Produced in partnership with Advocast Leadership Advisory and  Shawn P Neal.For questions, feedback, or episode suggestions, reach out at [email protected]

In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine what happens when companies ask the public to trust their explanations, their motives, or their values without providing enough evidence to support them. They begin with Meta’s temporary suspension of the No Kings Instagram account and the credibility problem created when the company’s explanation changed within 24 hours. Then they turn to Polymarket and Flutter, where claims of public benefit collide with business incentives, before closing with Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy’s uncomfortable attempt to avoid questions about the company’s history on same-sex marriage and LGBTQ issues. Across all three stories, Steve and Craig explore how past conduct, visible boundaries, and leadership choices determine whether stakeholders are willing to give an organization the benefit of the doubt.TakeawaysMeta’s rapid acknowledgment of the No Kings suspension was the right instinct, but its changing explanation weakened a transparency effort that was already operating against a trust deficit.Flutter’s claim that higher gambling taxes could drive consumers toward unregulated operators may have merit, but pairing that warning with expectations of increased market share raises questions about who bears the cost of the company’s response.Chick-fil-A had concrete changes and employment commitments its CEO could have discussed, but Andrew Cathy’s refusal to engage directly left audiences to interpret what the company was unwilling or unable to say.Topics Mentionedcorporate credibility, reputation management, transparency, political proximity, alignment signaling, social media moderation, automated enforcement, stakeholder trust, prediction markets, public-interest claims, corporate judgment, narrative arbitrage, gambling regulation, layoffs, consumer protection, leadership communication, LGBTQ issues, corporate values, media interviews, executive preparation, silence as communicationCompanies MentionedMeta, Instagram, Anthropic, Polymarket, Front Office Sports, Kalshi, Flutter, FanDuel, Paddy Power, Betfair, Sky Bet, Chick-fil-A, NBCEpisode Hashtags#Meta #Instagram #Anthropic #Polymarket #FrontOfficeSports #Kalshi #Flutter #FanDuel #PaddyPower #Betfair #SkyBet #ChickfilA #NBC #CorporateCommunications #PublicRelations #CorporateReputation #CrisisCommunication #StakeholderTrust #LeadershipCommunication #ReputationManagement #Transparency #AlignmentSignaling #PredictionMarkets #ExecutiveCommunications #MediaTraining #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetworkCommunication Breakdown is a production of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation.Hosted by Craig Carroll and Steve Dowling.Produced in partnership with Advocast Leadership Advisory and  Shawn P Neal.For questions, feedback, or episode suggestions, reach out at [email protected]

In this episode of Communication Breakdown, hosts Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine Microsoft’s response to a White House attack on its immigration practices, followed hours later by presidential recognition for CEO Satya Nadella. They debate whether the company’s restrained rebuttal served its audiences and how political access should translate into results for employees. Craig introduces “disdirection,” describing how contradictory signals undermine a company’s ability to understand which relationships and commitments it can rely on. Then, they revisit Cornell University’s handling of a sexual assault case, assessing President Michael Kotlikoff’s apology, new safety measures, and the unresolved questions about leadership accountability and follow-through.TakeawaysPolitical access and presidential recognition offer limited reassurance when government decisions threaten employees. Corporate engagement needs to produce concrete results.Contradictory political signals make consistent corporate messaging, clear evidence, and explicit standards for resolving disputes more important.Cornell’s apology and new investigative arrangements represent progress. Restoring confidence requires explaining earlier failures and demonstrating that corrections work.Topics MentionedCorporate communications, political access, government relations, non-market strategy, return on mission, H-1B visas, PERM labor certification, employee trust, immigration policy, factual rebuttals, disdirection, crisis communication, campus safety, sexual assault reporting, leadership accountability, upstream communication, board oversight, stakeholder confidenceCompanies MentionedMicrosoft, Google, AMD, NVIDIA, Fox News, Amazon, Meta, Cornell University, The New York TimesEpisode Hashtags#Microsoft #Google #AMD #NVIDIA #FoxNews #Amazon #Meta #CornellUniversity #TheNewYorkTimes #CommunicationBreakdown #CorporateCommunications #PublicRelations #CrisisCommunication #GovernmentRelations #NonMarketStrategy #ReturnOnMission #EmployeeTrust #LeadershipAccountability #CorporateReputation #CampusSafety #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetworkCommunication Breakdown is a production of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation.Hosted by Craig Carroll and Steve Dowling.Produced in partnership with Advocast Leadership Advisory and  Shawn P Neal.For questions, feedback, or episode suggestions, reach out at [email protected]

In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine two very different crises connected by a common question: what happens when trust in an institution or company is already under strain? They begin with Cornell University’s response to allegations that a student was drugged and sexually assaulted at a fraternity party, analyzing President Michael Kotlikoff’s delayed public statement, the university’s handling of the case, and the difference between promising future action and accounting for past decisions.Watch the full public statement from Cornell University's President, Michael Kotlikoff here:https://statements.cornell.edu/2026/20261003-commitment.cfmThen they turn to Walmart and McDonald’s as both companies push back against claims that artificial intelligence and consumer data could be used to manipulate prices. Across both stories, Steve and Craig explore credibility, accountability, narrative governance, and why organizational claims need to hold up against the systems and decisions behind them.TakeawaysIn a crisis involving serious harm, leadership communication must address what happened, what the organization did, and what has changed, rather than relying primarily on promises about the future.Independent scrutiny carries more credibility when organizational leaders openly subject their own decisions and roles to examination.AI-related communication increasingly requires companies to explain who controls the technology, what data it uses, what it is designed to optimize, and what limits protect consumers.Topics Mentionedcrisis communication, sexual assault, university governance, leadership accountability, institutional trust, independent investigations, organizational culture, Greek life, reputational risk, transparency, legal risk, stakeholder trust, AI pricing, artificial intelligence, dynamic pricing, personalized pricing, surveillance pricing, consumer data, price optimization, narrative governance, investor communications, customer communications, franchise pricing, corporate accountabilityCompanies MentionedCornell University, Kai Pi, Delta Delta Delta, CNN, Walmart, Reuters, McDonald’sEpisode Hashtags#Cornell #CornellUniversity #Walmart #McDonalds #Reuters #CNN #CrisisCommunication #CorporateCommunications #PublicRelations #CorporateReputation #ReputationManagement #Leadership #Accountability #InstitutionalTrust #StakeholderTrust #OrganizationalCulture #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #AIPricing #DynamicPricing #ConsumerData #NarrativeGovernance #ConsumerTrust #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetworkCommunication Breakdown is a production of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation.Hosted by Craig Carroll and Steve Dowling.Produced in partnership with Advocast Leadership Advisory and  Shawn P Neal.For questions, feedback, or episode suggestions, reach out at [email protected]

In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll start with Microsoft’s decision to move communications under its corporate, external, and legal affairs organization, asking what reporting lines reveal about a company’s priorities and whether proximity to the CEO actually translates into influence. Then they turn to social media platforms that initially rejected paid promotion for Alex Gibney’s Elon Musk documentary, raising questions about platform rules, automated decision-making, and access to audiences. Finally, they unpack Stanford University’s use of AI to alter a photograph of real students, including replacing one student entirely, despite a university policy strictly prohibiting the practice. Across all three stories, the central issue is governance: policies and organizational structures matter only when the processes behind them work as intended.TakeawaysWhere communications sits on the org chart sends a message. Microsoft’s decision to place communications within corporate, external, and legal affairs reflects the increasingly broad political, legal, social, and reputational environment communications leaders must navigate.A seat at the table does not guarantee influence. Communications leaders can become too absorbed in executive thinking and lose the outside perspective and organizational relationships that give the function its value.Platform policies need consistent definitions and enforcement. Meta and YouTube reversed decisions restricting ads for the Musk documentary, but their explanations left questions about whether automated systems, human judgment, or policy interpretation caused the restrictions.Topics Mentionedcorporate communications, communications leadership, corporate affairs, organizational structure, communications reporting lines, employee communications, non-market strategy, reputation management, social media advertising, political advertising, content moderation, platform governance, audience access, Elon Musk documentary, artificial intelligence, generative AI, AI governance, image manipulation, authenticity, diversity, representation, institutional credibility, communications policy, reputation riskCompanies MentionedMicrosoft, Meta, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Oracle, YouTube, Google, Bleecker Street, Twitter/X, Amazon, Fox NewsEpisode Hashtags#Microsoft #Meta #Instagram #Facebook #TikTok #Oracle #YouTube #Google #BleeckerStreet #Twitter #X #Amazon #FoxNews #Stanford #CorporateCommunications #CorporateAffairs #PublicRelations #ReputationManagement #CommunicationsLeadership #StrategicCommunications #AI #GenerativeAI #AIGovernance #AIethics #PlatformGovernance #ContentModeration #CorporateReputation #Leadership #Authenticity #StakeholderTrust #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetworkCommunication Breakdown is a production of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation.Hosted by Craig Carroll and Steve Dowling.Produced in partnership with Advocast Leadership Advisory and  Shawn P Neal.For questions, feedback, or episode suggestions, reach out at [email protected] episode includes AI-generated content.

In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine three very different responses to public pressure. Converse apologizes for disturbing imagery in an ad campaign, while Ed Sheeran addresses the removal of Macklemore from his tour after remarks about Palestine. Oracle, facing criticism over how it handled layoffs, offers little explanation to the employees affected. Steve and Craig ask what an apology must answer, how partners can prepare for pressure together, and what corporate silence costs the people left waiting for answers.TakeawaysTaking down an offensive ad is an immediate remedy. Converse still needs to explain how the image passed review and what will change.An apology can land differently with fans, critics, partners, and others affected. One audience’s response cannot stand in for all of them.Public solidarity carries more weight when collaborators have discussed their commitments and how they will respond to pressure in advance.Topics MentionedApologies, advertising review, creative approval, stakeholder trust, performer speech, public solidarity, wedge warfare, crisis preparation, layoffs, employee communication, strategic silence, accountability, AI adoption, return on missionCompanies MentionedConverse, Oracle, Instagram, The Wall Street Journal, Nike, Slack, LinkedIn, Amazon, TargetEpisode Hashtags#Converse #Oracle #Instagram #WallStreetJournal #Nike #Slack #LinkedIn #Amazon #Target #EdSheeran #Macklemore #CrisisCommunications #CorporateReputation #Apologies #StakeholderTrust #EmployeeCommunications #Layoffs #ArtificialIntelligence #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetworkCommunication Breakdown is a production of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation.Hosted by Craig Carroll and Steve Dowling.Produced in partnership with Advocast Leadership Advisory and  Shawn P Neal.For questions, feedback, or episode suggestions, reach out at [email protected]

In this episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll examine what happens when Hollywood turns corporate leaders into central characters. With new productions focused on Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, and Elon Musk, they explore how dramatizations and documentaries can reshape public understanding of companies long after the original events occurred. The discussion goes beyond media strategy to examine governance, founder dependence, institutional accountability, and why organizations need their own credible record before someone else writes it for them.TakeawaysCompanies that become inseparable from their founders risk having their corporate reputation rise and fall with a single individual.Declining to participate in a film or documentary does not remove an organization from the story. It simply transfers control of representation to someone else.Organizations should distinguish between countering a narrative and producing new evidence that demonstrates institutional accountability.Topics MentionedCorporate reputation, founder branding, executive communications, narrative governance, corporate storytelling, documentaries, dramatizations, crisis communications, governance, institutional accountability, AI-generated media, synthetic proxies, reputation management, media strategy, narrative controlCompanies MentionedMeta, Facebook, The Wall Street Journal, OpenAI, ChatGPT, Tesla, SpaceX, Enron, Theranos, ColossusEpisode Hashtags#Meta #OpenAI #ChatGPT #Facebook #Tesla #SpaceX #CorporateCommunications #PublicRelations #CorporateReputation #ExecutiveCommunications #CrisisCommunications #ReputationManagement #NarrativeGovernance #Leadership #MediaStrategy #ArtificialIntelligence #Documentary #Storytelling #ShawnPNeal #Advocast #OCRNetworkCommunication Breakdown is a production of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation.Hosted by Craig Carroll and Steve Dowling.Produced in partnership with Advocast Leadership Advisory and  Shawn P Neal.For questions, feedback, or episode suggestions, reach out at [email protected]

In this 100th episode of Communication Breakdown, Steve Dowling and Craig Carroll revisit the major forces that have shaped corporate communications over the past two years. They examine how political pressure drove companies to reconsider diversity commitments, how narrative arbitrage allowed outside actors to seize control of corporate stories, and why unrestrained executives increasingly create their own reputation crises. The episode closes with a practical look at how calibration, evidence, and restraint help organizations maintain authority when stakeholder deference can no longer be assumed.TakeawaysCompanies acting from strength can explain why they made a decision, what they intend to preserve, and which boundaries they will maintain.Political momentum, online intensity, and election results should not be mistaken for broad, durable stakeholder consensus.Unexplained changes create narrative gaps that activists, critics, and political actors can exploit for attention and influence.Topics Mentionedcorporate communications, corporate reputation, diversity commitments, DEI, political pressure, stakeholder expectations, fear versus strength, organizational values, narrative authorship, narrative arbitrage, crisis communication, social media, executive visibility, CEO reputation risk, executive containment, authenticity, governance, restraint, calibration, institutional authority, evidence, transparencyCompanies MentionedFord Motor, Costco, Target, Apple, Delta Air Lines, Meta, ABC, WNBA, Cracker Barrel, NFL, Tesla, Palantir, The New York Times, CNBC, Starbucks, Toyota, eBay, GameStopEpisode Hashtags#FordMotor #Costco #Target #Apple #DeltaAirLines #Meta #ABC #WNBA #CrackerBarrel #NFL #Tesla #Palantir #NewYorkTimes #CNBC #Starbucks #Toyota #eBay #GameStop #CorporateCommunications #PublicRelations #CorporateReputation #CrisisCommunication #DEI #LeadershipCommunication #ExecutiveReputation #NarrativeArbitrage #StakeholderTrust #ReputationManagement #CorporateGovernance #ShawnPNeal #AdvoCast #OCRNetworkCommunication Breakdown is a production of the Observatory on Corporate Reputation.Hosted by Craig Carroll and Steve Dowling.Produced in partnership with Advocast Leadership Advisory and  Shawn P Neal.For questions, feedback, or episode suggestions, reach out at [email protected]