Semafor World Economy Summit 2026• May 1, 2026• 11:07ConferenceInterview

Franz Paasche, EVP, Corporate Affairs, Verizon at Semafor World Economy

From Semafor World Economy Summit 2026 · 2026

Franz Paasche•EVP, Corporate Affairs, Verizon

Executive Summary

The role of the Chief Corporate Affairs Officer (CCAO) has evolved into a strategic C-suite advisor, or 'consigliere,' responsible for managing complex, interconnected stakeholder relationships across communications, government relations, and ESG.
At Verizon, AI transformation is a CEO-led, company-wide mandate requiring every employee to become proficient in AI.
This top-down approach is critical for driving large-scale change.
Successful AI implementation is not just a CEO responsibility but requires the entire leadership team to take ownership, with the corporate affairs function acting as a key partner across HR, legal, and business units.
Verizon's brand strategy for 2026 is centered on becoming the most trusted brand for its customers, highlighting trust as a core pillar of its long-term value proposition.

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Concerns Raised

Managing the complexity of AI implementation across a large organization
Navigating the 'permanent sense of uncertainty' faced by corporate leaders
Ensuring consistent communication across a diverse and interconnected network of stakeholders

Opportunities Identified

Leveraging AI as a transformative, 'opportunity of a lifetime' for the business
Elevating the corporate affairs function to have a greater strategic impact on the company's future
Building a powerful brand identity centered on trust and reliability

Key Themes

The Evolution of the C-Suite Advisor

The role of the Chief Corporate Affairs Officer has expanded from traditional communications to a strategic advisory function. This 'super advisor' integrates government relations, public policy, reputation management, and ESG to provide the CEO with a unified view of a complex stakeholder landscape.

This reflects the growing complexity businesses face, where reputation and stakeholder perception are inextricably linked to financial performance and long-term viability.

CEO-Led Corporate Transformation

Major strategic shifts, particularly the adoption of AI, must be driven from the very top of the organization. The speaker emphasizes that Verizon's CEO has personally mandated that all employees embrace AI, framing it as a fundamental component of the company's future.

Top-down leadership is essential to overcome organizational inertia, secure resources, and align the entire company around a single, transformative vision.

Integrated Leadership for Change Management

While the CEO sets the vision for transformation, successful execution requires the entire leadership team to take collective ownership. The corporate affairs function acts as a central partner, coordinating with HR, legal, and business units to manage the immense change management and communication challenges.

This highlights that large-scale change is a team sport; siloed efforts will fail, and cross-functional partnership is non-negotiable for success.

Trust as a Core Brand Pillar

In an environment of rapid technological change and uncertainty, building and maintaining trust is a primary corporate objective. Verizon's brand strategy is explicitly focused on becoming the 'most trusted brand,' positioning reliability and customer confidence as key differentiators.

As technology like AI becomes more pervasive, customers, regulators, and employees will gravitate toward companies they believe are acting responsibly, making trust a critical competitive advantage.

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Topics

Corporate Affairs C-Suite Leadership Stakeholder Management AI Transformation Change Management CEO Leadership Verizon Telecommunications Brand Strategy Corporate Communications Reputation Management ESG Trust Internal Communications

Processed May 10, 2026 yt-dlp + mlx-whisper + Gemini

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