Chief Corporate Affairs Officer (CCAO)
The Chief Corporate Affairs Officer is a top executive responsible for relations with regulators, government, media and the public, as well as the reputation of a betting company.
What a Chief Corporate Affairs Officer does
The Chief Corporate Affairs Officer (CCAO) manages how the company looks and sounds to the outside world: regulators and licensing authorities, lawmakers, the media, industry associations, banking partners and the public. In betting, this role is especially important because the industry is under constant scrutiny from governments and the press, and a single communications mistake can cost a license or a market.
Betting companies appoint a CCAO to manage regulatory risk at the level of relationships, not just documents. The role combines government relations, public affairs, corporate communications, a crisis press office, responsible gambling engagement in public debate, and work with industry bodies. The goal is for regulatory decisions to take the company's position into account and for public statements to match actual practices.
The CCAO usually sits on the executive team and reports to the CEO or board chair. Heads of PR, government relations, internal communications and CSR report to the CCAO, and the role works closely with the CLO, CMO, compliance head and head of responsible gambling. Decisions are often aligned with the legal function, because the company's public positions can become evidence in disputes with regulators.
Responsibilities
- Build and maintain dialogue with regulators and licensing authorities, including preparing the company's position on draft regulations
- Shape and agree on the company's public position on regulation, taxation and advertising restrictions
- Manage crisis communications: media responses, press releases, briefings and spokesperson preparation during scandals, inspections and fines
- Coordinate work with industry associations and the company's participation in sector initiatives on gaming standards
- Ensure public statements are consistent with the company's actual practices and with the position of the legal function
- Own reputation strategy: media monitoring, media landscape analysis, and work with opinion leaders and the expert community
- Prepare company leadership for public speeches, hearings, and parliamentary or expert discussions
- Set priorities for corporate social responsibility and public commitments on responsible gambling together with the relevant functions
- Run internal communications on key regulatory and reputational changes so that employees speak with one voice
- Build the budget and team for the function and defend them before the board of directors or shareholders
Skills
- Understanding of licensing and gambling regulation logic at a level sufficient for negotiations with regulators
- Strategic thinking and the ability to build multi-step scenarios for regulatory and media risks
- Public speaking and media training, including interviews and working with journalists on sensitive topics
- Crisis management: speed of response, prioritization and decision-making with incomplete data
- Negotiation with government bodies, legislators and representatives of industry organizations
- Written communication at the level of official positions, open letters and analytical memos
- Leading a team across several communications and government relations functions
- Understanding of the legal and financial constraints on advertising and marketing in gambling
- Working with the board and shareholders, explaining complex risks in plain language
Tools
- Media and social listening platforms (for example, Brand Analytics, Medialogia or similar)
- CRM systems for managing relationships with journalists and stakeholders
- Internal repositories of regulatory and public positions, logs of regulator requests and responses
- Project and task management tools (Jira, Asana, Notion)
- Presentation tools and systems for preparing board materials
- Calendars and workflows for handling media and government inquiries
How performance is measured
- Quality of regulator relationships: agreements kept, no unexpected decisions, and timely warnings about risks
- Share of positive or neutral coverage in key media on company topics
- Speed of response to crisis events and compliance with internal deadlines for agreeing positions
- Results on key regulatory initiatives: whether the company's positions are reflected in final texts
- Recognition of and trust in the company among stakeholders, based on surveys and monitoring
- Delivery of CSR and responsible gambling commitments recorded in public reports
- Management of the function's budget and delivery against the communications project plan
By vertical
Betting
In betting, the role is closely tied to licensing and government dialogue. The CCAO is responsible for the company's position on betting taxes, advertising restrictions, responsible gambling requirements and the fight against the illegal market. Public topics here often concern the social effects of gambling, so communications require particular care and alignment with lawyers and compliance.
Levels
C-level
At the C-level, the CCAO sets the strategy for the company's engagement with government, regulators and society for several years ahead. The role carries personal accountability for the reputational consequences of decisions, represents the company before the board and shareholders, makes final calls in crises, and owns the budget and team.
How to get there
People usually enter this profession from communications, government relations or journalism. A typical path runs from PR manager or press secretary, to head of communications, and then to roles in government relations or public affairs. Useful experience includes working at large companies under heavy regulatory and public scrutiny, in the public sector, in industry associations, or in communications consulting.
Entering gambling requires understanding the regulatory environment: how licensing works, what restrictions apply to advertising and bonuses, what responsible gambling means, and why regulators and the public view the industry critically. This context usually comes from work in compliance, the legal function, industry associations, or adjacent communications roles within betting or fintech companies.
Growth toward the CCAO role is built through accumulated crisis experience, independent negotiations with government bodies, and management responsibility for a team. The ability to work with leadership and the board is especially valued: candidates need to show they can make decisions with incomplete information and take responsibility for the consequences of their public positions.
Next steps: Chief Communications Officer, Head of Government Relations, Head of Public Affairs, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Sustainability Officer
FAQ
How does a CCAO differ from a CMO or a PR director?
The CMO is responsible for promoting products and attracting players, while the PR director handles publications and media relations. The CCAO covers a broader scope: regulators, government, industry associations, company reputation and participation in public policy. The role is closer to company strategy than to operational communications.
Does a CCAO need a legal education?
A legal degree is not required, but an understanding of regulatory and legal logic is almost always necessary. In betting, the CCAO needs to understand how license requirements are formulated and why public statements can affect negotiations with regulators. This knowledge often comes from working closely with lawyers or compliance.
How is this role connected to responsible gambling?
The CCAO typically does not own responsible gambling tools themselves, but shapes the company's public position on the topic, takes part in industry initiatives and reporting. They make sure statements about player protection match real practices, because a gap between the two quickly becomes a reputational and regulatory risk.
What determines a CCAO's income?
Income usually depends on the size of the company and its markets, the complexity of the regulatory environment, the scope of team and budget responsibility, and the company's public profile. Results in crisis situations also affect pay, since they directly bear on business stability.
Can someone move into this role from the public sector?
Yes, experience in government agencies, parliamentary staff or ministries is often valued in government relations and public affairs. It is important to adapt to commercial logic and the faster pace of decision-making in business, and to learn the specifics of betting and industry regulation.
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