Kristin Mesteig - Nordic Voices of Influence

How has the Public Affairs discipline developed in the last five years, and how do you expect it to develop in the next five years?

For the industry I represent, the pharmaceutical industry, PA has been increasingly prioritised as a field and speciality over the last five to ten years. The companies see the value of working in this area, both locally and globally, and have therefore increased hiring of, among others, people with insight into political processes and a relevant network. I have personally worked in public affairs for almost ten years with a focus on the area of rare diseases and expect that the industry will continue to increase the expertise and resources in this area. 

What should a CEO expect to get from a strong PA function?

A strong and relevant PA resource will be able to contribute insight into political processes and a strong network among political stakeholders. With this kind of insight and expertise, you will be able to enter processes early enough, almost before they are initiated, and drive relevant stakeholder management, which in turn can contribute to moving forward the issues that are important to the company and to the cause; in our case this is access to correct and much-needed treatment for patients. 

If PA is to be more data-driven and measurable, what should we actually be measuring?

This is a good but difficult question; since PA work is about bringing forward a message or working for a cause through your network, the field must continue to focus on human encounters. It is often small steps over a long period of work that result in others carrying your message forward and contributing to change. This is often not measurable. What would be useful to measure, however, is the external footprint the work contributes to. This must often be done through media activities and the written political trail left by what you have done over the period or year.

How do you use AI in your Public Affairs work today - and what must AI never replace?

Monitoring and knowledge gathering. We live in a society where the flow of information is enormous, and visibility across different communication channels can be crucial for gaining traction. To be as up to date as possible, we use various tools and AI assistance today, which help make PA work targeted and relevant.

Who has taught you most about political influence, and what did you learn from them?

I have been fortunate enough to work closely with several internal and external colleagues who are and have been directly involved in political processes, and who have a network that a commercial player rarely attains. Gaining insight into what it takes to succeed in both championing a cause and generating attention and engagement among decision-makers has been absolutely crucial to my everyday work. The most important thing I have learned is that things take time, and that you have to be able to speak to the hearts of decision-makers.

What is the most important personal quality for a Public Affairs professional in 2026, and why?

Network builder and infectious enthusiasm, which give you the ability to engage in dialogue and convince others that your cause is important to tackle.