The landscape for corporate communications has expanded globally, requiring executives to manage brand perception across diverse markets, cultures, and regulatory environments. In 2026, global PR leaders act as strategic stewards of reputation, balancing cultural fluency, crisis management, stakeholder engagement, and corporate purpose. These leaders operate at the highest levels of multinational organizations, shaping narratives that connect business strategy with societal expectations and global brand consistency.
Anna Burr — Lego: Storytelling Across Cultures and Generations
Anna Burr, Vice President of Corporate Communications at Lego, demonstrates the importance of universal yet locally relevant storytelling. Lego operates in markets worldwide, engaging multiple generations and cultural contexts. Burr’s leadership ensures that the brand communicates its educational mission, sustainability efforts, and cultural relevance consistently, while adapting to local nuances.
Her work exemplifies how global corporate communicators manage complexity with precision, embedding brand purpose into every narrative while ensuring that messaging resonates meaningfully with diverse audiences.
Andreas Bartels — Lufthansa: Reputation Leadership in a Highly Regulated Sector
Head of Communications at Lufthansa, Andreas Bartels, manages global narratives in the airline industry, one of the most regulated and scrutinized sectors. His team balances operational updates, customer trust, and safety communications, while navigating complex regulatory landscapes and geopolitical issues.
Bartels’ leadership underscores how global PR executives must be adept crisis managers and strategic communicators, capable of sustaining trust and clarity across multiple jurisdictions in highly dynamic environments.
Bea Perez — Coca‑Cola: Sustainability and Strategic Partnerships
Bea Perez, EVP and Global Chief Communications, Sustainability & Strategic Partnerships Officer at Coca‑Cola, has reshaped the company’s communications strategy around sustainability and corporate responsibility. Her leadership demonstrates how global PR must integrate purpose with strategy, crafting narratives that reflect both brand values and societal impact.
Through initiatives focused on environmental stewardship and social engagement, Perez illustrates how communications can strengthen global reputation and connect corporateaction with meaningful stakeholder engagement.
Anthony Chiejina — Dangote Group: Communications Leadership in Emerging Markets
Anthony Chiejina, Group Head of Corporate Communications for Dangote Group, leads communications for one of Africa’s largest conglomerates. His work spans energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure, balancing government relations, investor engagement, and community impact.
Chiejina exemplifies the challenge for global communicators: managing multiple, often competing stakeholder priorities in complex markets. His leadership highlights the importance of strategic narrative and reputation stewardship in emerging economies.
Nicola Leske — DHL: Logistics, Trust, and Global Connectivity
Nicola Leske, EVP of Corporate Communications and Sustainability at DHL, oversees messaging for a global logistics leader. She connects operational reliability with brandperception, demonstrating how global communicators translate complex operations into narratives of trust and innovation.
Leske’s work shows that corporate communications extends beyond media coverage to become a strategic pillar for managing stakeholder confidence across borders andindustries.
Raja Rajamannar — Mastercard: Payments, Policy, and Platform Trust
Raja Rajamannar, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at Mastercard, integrates communications with trust-building in the financial ecosystem. He shapes narratives around digital payments, financial inclusion, and responsible data use, demonstrating the evolving strategic role of corporate PR leaders in global platforms.
In 2026, leaders like Rajamannar exemplify how corporate communications now shapes perception, policy dialogue, and stakeholder confidence simultaneously — a model for global strategic influence.
The Mandate of Global Corporate PR
These international PR leaders share common attributes: strategic foresight, cultural fluency, ethical stewardship, and crisis preparedness. Across industries and regions, they demonstrate that corporate communications is not just about controlling stories, but about anchoring trust, guiding purpose, and shaping perception on a global scale. For advertising and marketing professionals, they provide a blueprint for integrating reputation, stakeholder engagement, and business strategy across cultures and markets.
