Interview with Axel Schafmeister, Managing Director, Shepard Fox Communications


In this interview with Axel Schafmeister, EACD Switzerland Country Lead, emphasises his pivotal role in continuously building and growing a community of communication professionals in Switzerland. Motivated by the organisation’s non-profit and self-governing structure, Axel focuses on the post-Covid rebuilding of the Swiss EACD community.  

He highlights key communication trends in Switzerland, including the dominance of AI discussions, geopolitical challenges, and the ongoing importance of sustainability. Additionally, Schafmeister discusses his active involvement in pan-European EACD working groups and underscores the value of physical meetings for effective networking.  

Could you describe your role as a Country Lead within the EACD?
Axel Schafmeister: I see my role in continuously building and growing a community of communication professionals who seek to network with peers to learn from each other, to get and give advice, and to share best practices in order to stay up to date with the latest developments in our trade – and to get better in what they are doing. Since there are plenty of opportunities to network, the goal is to create a platform which is different from existing offers and brings a true value-add to its members. 

One of the benefits is being part of both a local community and, at the same time, a unique pan-European community, offering the chance to network and exchange thoughts across borders. As the Country Leader, I am the local ambassador, always promoting the pan-European idea of the EACD and encouraging and facilitating communication among peers across borders


What motivated you to become a Country Lead, and what specific goals or initiatives are you focusing on in your region?
Axel Schafmeister: Having worked most of my professional life doing pan-European or international media relations and PR, I was looking for an organisation where I could meet colleagues with similar jobs, to learn how they are dealing with the challenges you face when being in charge of communications across a broad range of markets and geographies. I also always liked the underlying concept of the EACD being a self-governing, independent non-for-profit organisation run by members for members, rather than paying a lot of fees for joining an exclusive network that is run for commercial reasons.  

For me the EACD provides a protected environment characterised by mutual respect, trust and openness, encouraging members to speak freely about challenges they are facing, and enabling them to give and get advice, helping each other out when needed. In Switzerland I am currently focusing on rebuilding the Swiss EACD community after a longer period of little to no activity due to Covid19, since the community suffered a great deal during that period.  

This rebuilding focuses on physical meetings that offer both an opportunity to network face-to-face again and at the same time provide a platform to discuss the most relevant issues we are facing in our day-to-day jobs. The format for this is a half-yearly or quarterly meeting (Swiss ‘Apero’ style from 5.30pm to 20.30pm) at a hosting member, with one or two presentations by the host and another member, or, alternatively, by an external expert (or a panel of experts).     


In your opinion, what are the key communication trends or challenges currently shaping the landscape in your region?
Axel Schafmeister: When political and business leaders gathered in Davos for the 2024 World Economic Forum, one topic clearly dominated the discussions: AI took centre stage this year. Not surprisingly, it is also on the minds of most Swiss EACD members. So, at the next meetings it will be on top of the agenda. With the help of experts, we will try to filter the hype from what it really means for how we are doing our jobs in communications, what we need to learn and understand, and in which areas it can be used in a meaningful way, and where the boundaries of its usefulness in communications lie.  

Especially since Switzerland is home to a lot of multinational companies with many EACD members working in international roles, another key challenge is how to manage communications given the rising geopolitical instability, challenging companies and their CEOs in having to respond to issues ranging from wars and rising energy costs to fragile supply chains.  

The geopolitical challenge includes dealing with the demand that CEOs need to be more outspoken on political and societal issues as the rise of radical populist parties threatens the business model of many companies relying on free trade. With the geopolitical issues and its repercussions for businesses commanding the headlines, it is almost forgotten that many companies are in the midst of transforming themselves into sustainable companies, so sustainability still ranks among the top communication challenges in Switzerland in 2024.   


Could you highlight any successful projects or collaborations you’ve been involved in?
Axel Schafmeister:I have actively participated in pan-European EACD working groups, contributing to projects such as media monitoring and analysis, social media guidelines, and GDPR. Currently, I am working towards establishing a collaboration with a German CommTech initiative. 


Could you share your insights on the emerging communication trends and topics in countries within your region?
Axel Schafmeister: Given that in Switzerland most of the EACD members work for global companies and in international roles, there are few strictly regional topics. The key topics are: What does AI mean for Corporate Communications? How does Corporate Communications need to be set up to appropriately respond to geopolitical issues and manage communications in times of a polycrisis?  

Corporations and businesses are still being considered trustworthy by the greater public, compared to political institutions and media. How can we communicators contribute to keeping that trust and help leaders restore trust? How do we deal with mis- and disinformation? How can communications contribute to making the transition towards a sustainable company a success?  


What advice or recommendations would you give to EACD members interested in engaging more actively with their Country Leads or getting involved in regional initiatives?
Axel Schafmeister: Volunteer to host a local EACD meeting and share insights into the biggest communication challenges you are facing. Logistics like having a venue to meet sound very minor but have often proved to be the biggest obstacle to more frequent meetings.  


For EACD members considering launching communication initiatives in countries within your region, what practical advice or tips can you provide? Are there any mistakes they should avoid, and what strategies could be helpful in their efforts?
Axel Schafmeister:Given the big competition in online webinars, physical meetings are more attractive. And since people think twice now about making the effort of travelling to a meeting, it has got to be a strong offer either with regards to the speakers and networking opportunities, or with regards to clear learnings and take-aways from the session.


Why should your communications colleagues not
miss the EACD Summit in Brussels this year?
Axel Schafmeister: It is a unique opportunity to network with colleagues from all over Europe, learn from their best practices, listen to most insightful presentations, have inspiring conversations, get an understanding of what is on the mind of your fellow communicators and what drives them to never stop trying until they found the best possible solution to a problem.  

Most importantly, you go home filled with enthusiasm for your profession based on a reinvigorated sense of community, brimming with a forward-looking can-do spirit, buzzing with ideas for collaborating with your peers, all of which is resulting in a strength and confidence that helps you weather all the storms that are blowing right in your face once you are back in the office.