Guest blog from Mette Kahlin McVeigh
10 questions for 12 of the best PA Pros in Europe
The format for this guest blog series is quite simple: During 2026, 12 of the best PA Pros in Europe will be invited to contribute with one blogpost each here on my Substack, in which they answer 10 sharp questions about their experiences from working in Public Affairs and what they have learned along the way. So the ambition with this initiative is to provide readers with a realistic view of what Public Affairs is really about: honest and hard work! It is about learning from good or bad habits from some of the best in the business. So remember to subscribe to the blog, so you don’t miss out on the upcoming guest blogs.
The first guest blogger is Mette Kahlin McVeigh, Senior Vice President of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at Stora Enso.
1. For how long have you worked in/with Public Affairs, and what drove you in this direction?
I have worked with communications and/or public affairs for over 20 years, in Brussels, London, across the Nordics, and also globally. I actually started my career in politics in the UK, but fairly quickly realised that what fascinated me most was not ideology, but the processes, systems, structures, tactics, and strategy behind how political decisions are made.
That interest naturally led me towards Public Affairs, with detours in government and a think tank at certain points. Understanding how policy develops over time, how institutions interact, and how influence really works in practice felt more impactful to me than party politics. Public Affairs sits at the intersection between politics, strategy, and real-world outcomes.
2. How big is your PA department (PA employees), and where is the PA department placed in your organisation?
We are around 10 people, spanning the full range of disciplines and skills within Corporate and Regulatory Affairs (CARA), including strategic content, monitoring and impact analysis, stakeholder engagement, and guidance on implementation and compliance. The breadth of expertise is deliberate – effective Public Affairs requires a plethora of skills and competencies.
The function sits within Group Strategy and Sustainability. That reflects how we work – close to the business, focusing on where the company is heading, and with sustainability firmly embedded in everything we do. This also allows us to ensure that our political and regulatory analysis directly informs long-term business decisions.
3. What is the split between internal and external meetings for you?
Roughly 50 percent of my time is spent internally and 50 percent externally. When I first explained this split to my current CEO, he was genuinely surprised. There is still a widespread assumption that Public Affairs is primarily outward-facing. Yet, internal work is just as critical to effectiveness and success.
Spending time understanding the business and helping internal stakeholders to understand the political landscape and policy winds, enables us to identify opportunities and mitigate risks. We exist to support Stora Enso’s long-term growth, competitiveness and value creation by anticipating and shaping political and regulatory developments, and by translating external policy dynamics into clear strategic choices for the business.
Internal communication and briefing are therefore just as important as external engagement. Several of us in the team have government backgrounds, and we use structured briefing formats inspired by diplomatic and public-sector practice, with clear lines to take, solid background, and concise reporting. Explaining complex issues, their business impact, and how we plan to mitigate or leverage them internally is a core part of effective Public Affairs. If the function fails to communicate in a way the business can easily act on, even the most successful external engagement risks having little real impact.
4. How many external lunches do you have per week?
Not that many, actually. The idea that influence is built primarily through informal lunches is an outdated world view. Relationships matter, but what matters more is understanding the political process, knowing where your issue sits within it, and feeding in the right information at the right time, supported by credible evidence and concrete, constructive proposals.
Some of our most influential work has materialised without ever meeting anyone. During one Council Presidency, for example, we repeatedly sought meetings on a specific legislative file but received no response from the Member State. But we kept on reaching out to them and other decision makers where we focused on providing detailed, evidence-based written input, clearly explaining the problem, backing it up with data, and suggesting concrete solutions and draft legislative text. A couple of months later, we saw our reasoning reflected in a Presidency paper asking Member States to comment on those exact proposals.
That experience, and many more like it, has reinforced a golden rule for me. Well-written, well-evidenced, and constructive texts often outperform meetings. If your input is credible and genuinely helpful, it will gain traction, be circulated and inspire others, even if the ultimate decision-maker never opens your email or responds to your meeting request. Instead, with the right approach, in due time once your credibility and reputation has been established, you will find that decision-makers reach out to actively request your input.
5. Where do you keep up to date on Public Affairs?
A variety of sources. I value sparring with old colleagues and friends enormously; these informal conversations often provide the sharpest insights. On social media, LinkedIn is my main platform, where I follow people who share practical, experience-based insights into how Public Affairs really works in practice. Concrete examples of the work behind the scenes attract my attention much more than a photo of who someone met (although I must admit I am sometimes guilty of this).
6. Name a PA Pro in the industry you respect and why
I respect Public Affairs professionals who are generous with their knowledge and transparent about “what’s cooking”, so to say. The people I admire most are analytical and willing to challenge within their own organisation when a position is not credible or realistic.
7. What is your favourite book in relation to Public Affairs, campaigns or politics?
I do not really have just one. My job entails a lot of daily reading, from news to policy documents to internal information. For professional learning, I am also an avid podcast listener, covering EU politics, geopolitics, and communications, and that is actually how I came across your (Anders Kopp’s) work. The pods range from current affairs, domestic politics in various countries, specific policy/sector themes, through to general climate and green-focused podcasts. I also enjoy communication-focused ones such as The Little Questions Podcast.
8. Who do you follow on social media in relation to Public Affairs (if any)?
Primarily practitioners rather than commentators. On LinkedIn, I enjoy thoughtful and practical posts from people like Aaron McLoughlin, Mathias Kirkegaard, and others who focus on how Public Affairs/ decision-making actually works, rather than on hot takes.
9. Who would you love to read a guest blog from?
My daughter’s godfather, Matthew Hanney at Flint Global in the UK. He has analysis and strategy firmly at the forefront of everything he does. While he is deeply engaged and enjoys discussing issues in private, he has little need to display that engagement publicly. That said, it would still be worth trying to tempt him into responding.
10. What is the biggest challenge for the discipline of Public Affairs? And how do we solve it?
Public Affairs sometimes overpromises influence internally and underestimates complexity externally. We solve this by being honest internally about what is achievable, grounding positions in solid evidence, and building long-term trust externally. We always take a constructive approach and avoid chasing short-term wins that can undermine credibility and effectiveness over the longer term.