Europeans Demand CEO Visibility but Remain Unimpressed by What They Hear

PARIS – 15 September 2025: New APCO research reveals critical disconnect between the efforts companies are putting into executive profiling and how the public actually sees business leaders, Arnaud Pochebonne, APCO’s Europe lead for the Corporate Reputation practice and chair of APCO in France, announced today.   

According to the survey of 4,092 respondents across the UK, Germany, France and Italy, people want executives to be vocal but are unimpressed by what they hear, with fewer than 9% saying they have been influenced or impressed by any business leader.  

“Our research shows that business leaders are presented with an unprecedented opportunity,” said Pochebonne. “The public recognizes the importance of executive visibility and expects leaders to step forward, especially during turbulent times. However, most executives are failing to connect authentically with their audiences, meaning companies need to invest more in executive reputation and greater visibility.” 

The research reveals executive visibility as a business imperative: 

• 73% say visible leadership inspires employee confidence. 

• 61% believe executive thought leadership improves company reputation. 

• 87% expect executives to speak out during crises—especially economic ones. 

Yet a credibility chasm exists: 

• Only 9% of respondents say they’ve been personally impressed or influenced by a business leader. 

• 54% believe executive statements shape company perception more than advertising. 

• Yet, only 31% find executive communications authentic, 35% trustworthy and 32% accurate. 

This disconnect represents a significant missed opportunity, as executive reputation influences critical business outcomes: 63% say it affects company recommendations, 64% employment decisions and 55% investment choices. 

The study identifies clear guidelines for effective executive communication. Europeans value consistency between stated values and company actions (61%) and alignment with company vision (59%). Business leaders must also understand generational nuance. While traditional sources and word-of-mouth remain dominant across all generations in all markets, the survey reveals growing reliance on technology-assisted tools for forming opinions about business executives. Younger generations are more likely to use technology with Millennials (47%) and Gen Z (44%) increasingly relying on generative AI to shape their views.