Who Should Comms Report Into — and what does It indicate?

by Nakul Ghai:

A year ago, I walked into a meeting at a company’s headquarters and was struck by something that filled my heart with joy — a dedicated Communications department with its own space, distinct from Marketing, HR, or Legal. It was a small but powerful signal: this organization understood the strategic value of Communications. From CEO memos to investor briefings, media narratives to internal culture-building, Communications was woven into the company’s core, not just a function that came into play when an announcement needed amplification.

This wasn’t the first time I had seen Communications being given its due place. I recall another instance where, during an executive roundtable, the Communications lead was seated right alongside the CFO and COO, shaping the conversation rather than just documenting it. Moments like these reaffirm the growing recognition of Communications as a strategic business function, not just a tactical executor.

The role of Communications has evolved significantly. No longer confined to press releases and media outreach, it has become a business-critical function that influences corporate reputation, stakeholder trust, crisis preparedness, and even revenue impact. Yet, a long-standing debate remains: who should Communications report into?

While there is no universal answer, the reporting structure of Communications within an organization often reveals how the company perceives its role, influence, and strategic importance.

Common Reporting Structures & Their Strategic Implications

1. Reporting to the CEO: The Ideal Seat at the Table

One of the strongest indicators of Communications being valued as a strategic driver is when it reports directly to the CEO. This structure ensures that the function is tightly aligned with corporate vision, executive leadership, and high-stakes decision-making.

A direct line to the CEO also means that Communications isn’t just disseminating messages but is helping shape the narrative from the top down. Whether it’s reputation management, crisis communications, or internal storytelling, this setup allows communicators to act as trusted advisors, embedding strategic messaging into every key business move.

However, this structure also demands a higher level of business acumen from Communications leaders. They must be well-versed in financial performance, investor relations, and organizational strategy, ensuring their inputs aren’t just communication-driven but also business-driven.

2. Reporting to the CMO: The Brand Synergy Approach

In many organizations, Communications sits under Marketing, particularly in consumer-facing industries. This setup can be beneficial when Communications and Marketing need to work in tandem to drive brand awareness, customer engagement, and digital storytelling.

When Communications reports to the CMO, there is often a strong synergy in messaging, content marketing, and external positioning. However, it also presents a challenge: corporate reputation, public affairs, and internal communications can risk being overshadowed by demand generation and commercial branding priorities.

For this structure to be effective, Communications leaders must carve out a distinct identity within the Marketing function and ensure that corporate storytelling remains holistic, not just customer-centric.

3. Reporting to Legal, HR, or Corporate Affairs: A Compliance-Driven Model

In heavily regulated industries — such as pharmaceuticals, banking, or energy —Communications sometimes reports into Legal, HR, or Corporate Affairs. This is often due to the organization’s focus on risk management, compliance, and government relations.

This structure ensures that Communications is well-integrated with policy teams, regulatory updates, and corporate governance. However, it also runs the risk of limiting Communications to a defensive role rather than a proactive one. In such cases, companies must ensure that their Communications teams have the creative flexibility and strategic independence to shape positive narratives rather than just managing crises.

Beyond Reporting Lines: The Real Question

The real question isn’t just who Communications reports to, but how it functions within the organization. Reporting lines matter, but what’s even more critical is whether Communications is:

• Empowered as a strategic function rather than a support role
• Involved in decision-making from the outset, not just brought in to communicate after the fact
• Collaborating cross-functionally across Business, HR, Legal, Marketing, and Investor Relations
• Resourced adequately to drive impact across internal and external stakeholders

In some of the most forward-thinking organizations, Communications operates as a connector between multiple business units, ensuring alignment between leadership vision, employee engagement, media strategy, and public perception—regardless of its reporting structure.

The Future of Communications Leadership

Over the years, I’ve seen organizations transition from viewing Communications as a tactical output function to recognizing it as a business enabler. This shift is crucial. Whether it’s helping a CEO craft a vision statement, guiding executives through a crisis, or building long-term brand trust, Communications leaders today must be storytellers, advisors, strategists, and reputation guardians—all at once.

The most important takeaway? A well-positioned Communications team isn’t defined by who they report to, but by how deeply they are embedded into the organization’s strategic framework.

So, as communicators, let’s focus not just on where we sit in the hierarchy, but on the value we bring to the table. After all, the best communications teams don’t just report up—they influence across.

Image by Ideogram.ai

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Based in India, Nakul Ghai is a strategic Global Communications, PR & Community Engagement practitioner with over seven years of experience in impact and outcome-driven communications across dynamic markets such as India, SEA, SWA, APAC, EMEA, US, and UK. He is recognized among e4m’s ’30 under 30′ & ‘Communication Trailblazer’, PRMoment’s ’30 under 30′, ‘We Lead Comms’ honoree, and Adgully’s ‘Corporate Comms Professional of the Year 2022.’

Written by: Editor