Reputation and influence in finance: beyond compliance

In the financial sector, regulation is omnipresent. Banks, asset managers, insurers, and private equity firms operate under strict regulatory frameworks. As a result, environmental management is often reduced to a compliance function. However, true leadership in the sector requires going beyond compliance and adopting a strategic approach to stakeholder engagement.

The financial market is one of the most perception-sensitive. A public statement, political reaction, or viral news story can have more impact than an interest rate change. In this context, the ability to anticipate, influence, and align expectations with key stakeholders becomes a distinct competitive advantage.

And those stakeholders are not just regulators. In finance, the ecosystem includes international supervisors, national lawmakers, industry associations, business media, analysts, multilateral institutions, NGOs, consumer advocacy groups, think tanks, and even European bodies. All of them shape the operational, reputational, and growth landscape.

The institutions that understand this have begun treating their stakeholder ecosystem with the same rigor they apply to managing their portfolios. They map actors, monitor perceptions, craft narratives aligned with their strategic purpose, and activate key relationships at the right moments. This isn’t about marketing — it’s about legitimacy.

In processes such as mergers, acquisitions, market entry, or digital transformation, having an aligned stakeholder environment makes all the difference. A banking integration may fail not due to technical or economic issues, but because of mismanaged stakeholder opposition. An innovative fintech may be blocked by regulatory uncertainty. An insurer may lose market position due to an uncontrolled public narrative.

Moreover, in a society increasingly demanding transparency, sustainability, and fairness, financial institutions must demonstrate their positive role. The old message of “creating shareholder value” no longer suffices. Today, it's about building lasting trust. And that requires dialogue, listening, visibility, and consistency.

The good news is that the financial sector already has the structures and talent to professionalize this dimension. What’s sometimes lacking is strategic vision. Instead of viewing stakeholders as obstacles to manage, it’s time to see them as levers that can amplify a firm’s ability to act.

This means, among other things, strengthening institutional relations, sustainability, and corporate reputation teams; giving them a shared vision aligned with overall strategy; and reporting not just financial indicators but also metrics of perception and influence.

In short, it’s about moving from a defensive to an offensive approach. From reacting to leading. From seeing reputation and influence in finance as intangible to recognizing them as strategic assets.

And like any asset, they must be measured, protected, and activated with intelligence.