To give them a real scientific validation

It has only one year in PPR, two in Sodexo and less than four in Thomson... The function of Director of public affairs there since two decades in France. In truth, the Director of public affairs is a mainly lobbyist in the societies of the CAC 40, which the sector is highly regulated, such as pharmacy, energy or the automobile. "In these companies, it is passed, in a few years, a loaded single mission and uncertain positioning to real public affairs directorates, with teams of five to ten people", note Gilles Lamarque, who leads the Anthenor Public Affairs lobbying firm and founded, there are two and a half years, the circle of the directors of public affairsnow with 27 members. The function is therefore structured. She also won in thickness. Jacques Mayor, Director of European Affairs and institutional in AXA, goes further: "long, he acted in a" landing"activity for the operational end.". Today, it is a full function more and more integrated into the business.

Many of pedagogy

The trade has experienced a rapid evolution. "There are still five years professional associations were the preferred way to argue our points of view, but issues being become more pointed, it took to organize," confirms Patrick O'Quin, Director of external relations of Danone. Most large companies are indeed, as AXA, lobbyists in Washington, Brussels, London, Italy, Switzerland, China... In summary, where their commercial and industrial presence is significant.

The role of the Director of public affairs is now double. First of all, promote the business by communicating with the public authorities of course, but also NGOs, professional federations or consumer associations. Then, to ensure that the interest of the group is taken into account, in the adoption of new legislation or new regulations. To do this, the method varies little: inform, educate and convince the decision makers. In other words, do a lot of pedagogy. "He must explain what the consequences will be the adoption of such rules, what are its stakes and its limits." "It must also be present permanently by participating in meetings with the representatives of the institutions of Brussels," continues Dominique Graber, Director of European public affairs at BNP Paribas. Privileged interlocutors as well are the public Treasury, MEPs, the Member States. Patrick O'Quin, Danone, has experienced it. For four years, the French group has worked for the establishment of a regulation on health claims are to be found on some products such as Actimel or Danacol. To give them a real scientific validation. Finally, the principle of regulation was passed in 2006. "It took that we go out to the Ministers of Agriculture and the health of most of the 27 countries", he notes. Today, the discussions continue with the European Agency for the safety of the food, the European Commission and consumer associations to set how businesses can put them in front.

Each Director of Public Affairs has a horse in battle. That of Jacques Mayor of AXA, regarding the supervision of the risks. It should, the "sub-prime" crisis demonstrated in his view, be managed not French but European, even international level. Sometimes the same interests are shared by several companies, as shown in the current debate on the establishment of a fourth license. The three major telephone operators, France Telecom-Orange, SFR and Bouygues, there are competing and common front.

Better yet, a single company can mobilize the interest of all. Recently, AXA was Commission by the French Federation of insurance companies to negotiate with the Algerian Treasury. The goal: put an end to a dispute dating back to 1966, which prohibited insurers of the hexagon to invest the local market.