By Brian Cattell
It’s not new for charismatic CEOs to be the face of the corporations they lead. In 2025, however, with many business leaders seeming to be either permanently on social media, on TV or quoted in the newspapers, many CEOs have effectively become the company brand.
It’s not just the extreme examples like Elon Musk. More sober but still ubiquitous corporate titans such as Andy Jassy of Amazon, Jensen Huang of Nvidia or Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan. Today’s rapidly evolving ecosystem of new digital, social and legacy media platforms means that these executives are in the spotlight more than any others in corporate history.
The Shift Toward A New Kind Of CEO
In many ways, today’s CEOs are behaving more like influencers. They comment on market trends, share views on AI and even weigh in on how everyday people spend their free time. Every post or statement is instantly shared, analyzed and judged. As a result, corporate communications teams must now manage not only the company’s brand but also a highly visible, human brand—one that’s imperfect, spontaneous and constantly speaking.
Consider WK Kellogg CEO Gary Pilnick’s infamous “let them eat cake” moment in 2024. In a CNBC interview, Pilnick suggested cereal as a low-cost dinner option amid rising food prices—claiming it could feed a family for just $1. The backlash was swift. His comments went viral, drawing sharp criticism online from people who saw the remarks as tone-deaf and out of touch.
Although Pilnick—new to the role at the time—kept his job and WK Kellogg avoided lasting damage, it’s safe to assume his communications team likely spent several intense days managing the fallout.
How can a company let a CEO be themselves and convey authenticity without a script while safely representing the corporate brand without undue reputational risk?
There’s no doubt that authenticity has value—genuine, unfiltered communication can build trust with both internal and external audiences. Live videos, spontaneous interviews and off-the-cuff Q&As often resonate more than polished scripts. But these moments also carry serious risks. A casual, poorly worded remark can easily veer off-message, triggering internal frustration among employees or, worse, sparking public backlash.
How Communications Teams Can Mitigate Risks
Anything from political opinion to comments about layoffs, the workforce and much more are at risk of being misinterpreted. So, how should the internal communications team or external advisers to the corporation manage these new risks?
1. Expanding Media Training
First, media training needs to go beyond traditional TV or print media. It now needs to cover the right tone and body language for TikTok or Instagram, LinkedIn etiquette and dealing with live comments from customers or employees in an open forum environment.
2. Deeper Content Strategies
Before CEOs go out into the world to communicate, there needs to be some deep thinking about content strategy. It needs to balance personal branding for the individual with corporate messaging.
3. Planning For Multiple Outcomes
Don’t forget to plan for different scenarios. Comms teams, particularly those supporting high-profile business leaders, should have a multistep plan that follows the possibility of their CEO’s comment or post going viral for the wrong reason.
4. Accelerating Crisis Response
Finally, PRs have been practicing the art of rapid rebuttal in the media for decades. In today’s environment, speed for response across all content verticals is just as critical. Prepare well and be ready to step in should things go south.
Addressing The Paradox Of Modern CEOs
The great paradox of the modern CEO as the corporate brand is that it stems from a desire to be relatable to many more people than were traditionally reached by the words and actions of company executives. However, by striving to be relatable through greater public exposure, business leaders increase their risk of doing or saying the wrong thing. If that happens, they end up being anything but the person that someone would love to have a beer with.
While high-profile gaffes often dominate headlines, a CEO’s internal reputation can be just as critical. When the CEO embodies the company’s identity, their mistakes don’t just damage the brand externally—they can also shake confidence within the organization.
Misjudged statements—especially during sensitive moments like layoffs or changes to DEI or remote work policies—can spark anything from employee backlash to public criticism. As a result, communications teams must now monitor internal sentiment as closely as they do media, customer and investor reactions.
In Conclusion
The challenge for those managing a CEO brand in 2025 is to balance risk and reward. The leader’s voice can be a very powerful tool, but it requires careful management, strategy and real-time monitoring.
In an age where saying the wrong thing can spark a consumer boycott or an employee walkout, the CEO doesn’t just speak for the company—they often are the company.