Leadership Lessons with…Jack Withrington, Head of Public Affairs and Public Policy at AAT

Leadership Lessons with… Jack Withrington, Head of Public Affairs and Public Policy at AAT

Absorbing a wealth of information quickly, convincing companies of the commercial value of public affairs, and building compelling arguments – Jack Withrington tells us all about his public affairs trajectory, and what he’d look for in up-and-comers.

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Why did you get into public affairs?

Like most people who start out in public affairs, I had a passion for politics. I began working in Parliament back in 2010 which was at times a baptism of fire needing to learn lots of things rapidly, but never dull!

The big appeal to me of public affairs was marrying that political interest with communications disciplines to try to achieve a very challenging but rewarding goal – not just trying to persuade a person to your way of thinking, but also persuading them to make your case for you and help enact positive change.

What personal attribute has most helped you succeed in your career?

There are three major contributors.

The first is the ability to absorb lots of information quickly, and condense it to identify the main issues and objectives. That’s key. In public affairs, you’re confronted with a great deal of new topics, challenges, people, policies and so on, and you have to be ready to shift your focus.

The second is strategic communication. It’s about relentlessly concentrating all activity on what the outcome needs to be, and how you’re going to achieve it. You also need to have the confidence to present an argument to a potentially apathetic or even hostile audience or individual.

The third is understanding the commerciality of public affairs. I’ve found there is a common misconception among lots of businesses that that profession is all about ‘wining and dining’ with little benefit to the bottom line. I firmly disagree with this. Public affairs can be a growth enabler and risk mitigator for businesses. This is not always obvious to colleagues or clients so being able to make that case persuasively is something I’ve found really valuable.

What would you say has been the biggest challenge that you’ve overcome?

At the moment, it’s the constant change of government, ministers, and MPs which is only going to increase with a general election. As has been painfully clear to most public affairs professionals, a Minister could be here today, gone tomorrow and so the task of relationship building is currently very challenging.

Building strong connections and a diverse network is obviously a huge part of any public affairs role, but it is never finished. So, while it’s important to keep building new connections, success also comes from investing time and resource in a proper strategy that means you don’t lose momentum when there’s change.

Who would you say has been the most inspiring person you’ve worked with?

It’s a politician answer but I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked with lots of great colleagues and bosses throughout my career which I have genuinely learned lots from. In particular, I have often been inspired by colleagues from outside the comms disciplines who have not only demonstrated what leadership should look like but also taught me how you should always make your time available to everyone at work, whatever their seniority or relevance to your work. 

What have been the biggest changes in the Public Affairs industry in the past 10 years?

There’s a lot more focus on data and business intelligence which is going to be incredibly helpful as technology evolves.

At the beginning of my career, public affairs tended to use fairly surface-level data, like polling or surveys, and you gained maybe one or two killer numbers that would support your arguments. But the way data is now being more intelligently used in business is a major opportunity for our profession. You not only gain more compelling evidence for your arguments, but that data also gives you a unique value to government and policy stakeholders.

The other change is how more businesses are considering political risk in their business planning, which public affairs professionals can make a big difference. When you look at the past decade from a political perspective, we’ve had coalitions, Brexit, hung parliaments, a pandemic, dramatically different philosophies of government, as well as an increased appetite for government intervention across the political divide.

As such, more people are understanding the ways in which politics can have a direct impact on their businesses or growth prospects and that any organisation and sector can be vulnerable to political risk. Public affairs professionals are perfectly placed to provide unique insight on this for business, both from a risk and business planning perspective.

What would you say are the three words that best describe you as a communicator?

Strategic. Persuasive. Confident.

What makes a great public affairs and policy professional?

Firstly, someone who’s interested in politics. It sounds obvious but without that drive and passion for all things politics, you won’t enjoy it for long so being interested and engaged with the political landscape is imperative.

Secondly, someone who is a clear and concise communicator, adaptable, and who can proactively come up with creative arguments. One of the key skills in this profession is being able to think of new ways to say the same thing to stay relevant and interesting but also adapt them to changing circumstances. You then need to be able to bolster these arguments with data and evidence and be able to present them confidently and persuasively.

Lastly, someone who is collaborative. The most successful times in my career have come from working in a team which is supportive and willing to help each other, but also those who don’t work in a silo and reach out to other areas of the organisation. Without that, you’ll miss out on a lot of really interesting information and resources that might have otherwise been of real benefit to your work.

That’s who I’d hire.