Chicago, IL, Oct. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Six in ten chief communications officers say they have a seat at the leadership table but do not yet have the communications function that seat requires, according to the new Communications Modernization Index from The Grossman Group.
The study surveyed 50 CCOs, nearly all at companies with more than $1 billion in annual revenue and a majority at companies with more than $10 billion. The findings suggest communications leaders have established considerable influence with CEOs, but they still need to build the operating side of the function: the systems, skills, and AI capabilities needed to deliver at scale. Those elements are also where respondents rate themselves lowest today and where they intend to focus in the coming year.
Eighty-five percent of respondents in the survey say their CEO can clearly explain the business value of communications, while 81% say communications counsel changes business decisions at their company. By comparison, 54% say their measurement demonstrates value in terms the CFO trusts.
“The role of the CCO has advanced considerably, and these findings suggest the function is still catching up with that progress,” said David Grossman, founder and CEO of The Grossman Group. “Communications leaders are influencing business decisions at the highest levels. The work now is building a function worthy of the seat they’ve earned.”
An expanding mandate without corresponding resources was the most commonly cited pain point in the survey, ranking among the top three for 77% of respondents and first for 38%. Nearly two-thirds of CCOs expect their communications budgets to remain flat or decline during the next 12 months.
The findings also point to the particular demands facing leaders who are new to the CCO role. Nearly all respondents who joined their current company within the past year rated their communications function at one of the first two stages of the Index’s five-stage scale. Their most immediate priorities centered on foundational issues including strategy, operating model, and talent.
“Modernization stalls when leaders work on it in the wrong order,” Grossman said. “The first move isn’t new technology. It’s delivering wins the business cares about while you strengthen strategy, operating model, and talent behind the scenes. Wins buy you credibility, and credibility buys you the runway to modernize. That’s true whether you’re new in the seat or ten years in.”
Respondents in the Communications Modernization Index included communications leaders at Carnival Cruise Line, Citizens Bank, Fresenius Kabi, Honeywell Technologies, Kenvue, Marelli, Morningstar, Parsons, Southwest Airlines, and Xcel Energy, as well as leaders from 40 other companies across financial services, healthcare, industrials, technology, consumer goods, energy, and travel.
The full Communications Modernization Index report, including additional findings and recommendations, is available here.
About The Grossman Group
The Grossman Group is an award-winning communications consultancy that helps leaders and organizations drive transformation through strategic communication. For more than 25 years, the firm has partnered with Fortune 500 companies and leading organizations to strengthen leadership, culture, change management, and the employee experience. In 2026, The Grossman Group launched The CCO Advisory, a specialty practice helping communications leaders modernize the function and build the strategy, systems and capabilities needed to meet a broader business mandate.
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Media Contact: Michael Tilus Broadsheet Communications for The Grossman Group michael@broadsheetcomms.com
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