Provoke EMEA: Excellera CEO On EMEA Corporate Affairs

(MENAFN- PRovoke) At the PRovoke EMEA Summit in London, Paolo Zanetto, CEO of Excellera Advisory Group, sat down with Paul Holmes to discuss the evolving landscape of corporate affairs across Europe and beyond. The conversation touched on the convergence of reputation, regulatory, and financial communications, the growing influence of private equity in the communications sector, and the emerging role of EMEA as a hub for public relations innovation.

Participants:

. Paolo Zanetto, CEO, Excellera Advisory Group
. Paul Holmes, founder, PRovoke Media

The following conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Five key takeaways:

• The future of corporate affairs is integrated and multidisciplinary.

• Private equity interest is driving growth and innovation in communications.

• True strategic leadership requires both cross-functional expertise and regional fluency.

• EMEA is emerging as the epicenter of a new kind of public relations firm.

• The next generation of communications leaders must combine business fluency with coordination skills.

Paul Holmes: You've stayed under the radar, but now you're launching Accelera more publicly. Tell us about its journey and your thinking behind the structure.

Paolo Zanetto: Exccelera started in Italy with the recognition that corporate affairs was no longer just about public affairs. Clients were demanding integrated support - across reputation, regulation, and financial matters. We brought together leading specialists from different firms into a confederation of brands. Each firm remains autonomous, but we collaborate under a shared strategic view.

PH: Last year saw contradictory market signals - consolidation driven by cost savings on one hand, and massive valuations like KKR's $1.7B investment in FGS on the other. What's attracting investors to this space?

PZ: It's a few things. First, a renewed interest in people-centric businesses, especially post-pandemic. Second, many investors are already users of corporate affairs services - they understand our value. Third, the market is still fragmented. There are powerful regional firms that could thrive as part of a larger platform. But this isn't about size for its own sake - it's about making investments in innovation and talent that individual firms can't make alone.

PH : Let's talk about the role of the chief communications officer or corporate affairs lead. We're seeing a trend toward consolidation - one person overseeing everything from employee comms to investor relations. But some companies are still siloed or even creating new roles like chief geopolitics officer. What are you seeing?

PZ: The trend is toward integration. We don't have consensus on titles - CCO, corporate affairs director, etc. - but the function is consolidating. To work, this model requires two things: one strategic officer with broad vision, and strong domain experts across disciplines. You also need regional nuance - especially as EMEA becomes a strategic focus for multinational firms.

PH : What kind of leaders are needed to succeed in this more complex environment?

PZ: They come from different disciplines - investor relations, public affairs, communications - but the best ones know how to orchestrate across teams. That's the skill: making the specialists work together. At Accelera, we protect the autonomy and brand identity of each firm, but we add that extra layer - coordination, strategy, and the ability to think holistically.

PH: What's next for Excelera? You've established a strong presence in Italy. Will you grow beyond?

PZ: Phase one was national - Italy. Phase two is EMEA. We want to bring together outstanding independent consultancies across the region - from the UK to the Middle East. Our model respects founder-led culture. We don't hand them a manual - we empower them to lead, while benefiting from shared scale and expertise.

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