Leadership Lessons with Sally Hepton Director of Government Relations and Sustainable Luxury Bentely Motors Ltd.

In recognition of International Women’s Day, Hanson Search is running an interview series throughout March showcasing female talent across the industries we work in.

In this article, Peter Ferguson, Managing Consultant at Hanson Search, spoke with Sally Hepton, Director of Government Relations and Sustainable Luxury Bentely Motors Ltd. They discussed Sally’s leadership journey, changes in the industry and advice for the next generation of public affairs professionals.

How did you get into Public Affairs and Politics?

I studied history at university and followed that with a master’s degree. To bolster my employability, I added a marketing qualification and began applying for a wide range of roles. While I was initially drawn to advertising, I eventually landed a position at The House magazine, the primary publication for MPs and now part of Politico. Moving to London for that role opened a whole new world to me as I was not aware of public affairs at that point. I soon became very engaged in politics, first in my local ward and then nationally on general election campaigns. Afterwards, I moved into public affairs consultancy for several years. Consultancy was great fun because you deal with a great variety of topics and need to get up to speed very quickly. It also built a strong sense of community because we were all in the same boat as a team.

I find the work I do in highly regulated industries particularly fascinating because they are so vital for both individual organisations and the wider economy. In my work at companies like Shell, I found that these sectors offer meaty, and interesting topics where you can learn every aspect of communications. Working in these industries has meant I can see behind the scenes and look at what makes our economy move.

What do you think are the key qualities needed from leaders in public affairs and politics in 2026?

Right now, the two most important traits are resilience and calmness. You must have a deep understanding of both your own business and the external world, seeing exactly where they intersect. This way, you can provide measured, clear advice.

Leaders also need to be able to assess risk and feed that insight back to the business in a way that is easily understood. It is very easy to react to events, but you have to stay informed and provide steady guidance. You also need to be a strong stakeholder to the outside world by being consistent and authentic. Now more than ever we need trust and clear facts communicated through strong relationships. Success comes from marrying internal business needs with external complexity in a way that everyone understands.

How important is Public Affairs representation at Board level?

I think it is vital. Our operating environment is ridiculously complex and shows no sign of calming down. Since everyone picks up information from so many different sources, it is important to have direct contact with the board and CEO throughout.

A direct connection helps with speed and decision making at a time when there is so much information out there. While there are not always public affairs professionals on boards themselves, having that close link is very important to avoid layers of decision making, something that often slow things down.

How do you see the Public Affairs market evolving over the next five years?

AI is at the forefront of everyone’s minds, and it certainly has a role in improving efficiencies. For a small team, it can handle analysis tasks that you might not otherwise have the time to do. While it is not a total solution, we all need to find ways to use it for efficiency as that will be expected from every function. You must be clever with it so you can elevate your own activities and take real value from the technology.

Beyond AI, there is a growing need for international trade advice. Trading globally is complicated, with varied trade deals and regulations across different markets. Having a technical and international view on things like tariff barriers is going to be critical.

Domestically the UK has also become more complicated. Instead of a traditional two-party system, we now have a more varied landscape with more parties and diverse views. Understanding future government collaborations is time consuming, and we also have the extra layer of regional devolution impacting planning and transport. The UK has become more diverse in terms of people and topics while the business environment has become more urgently global.

What advice do you have for someone looking to build a career in public affairs and/or politics?

The core of it is simple: you must truly love what you are doing and be passionate about your topics.

If you are just starting out, my advice is to become an expert in something specific. Be the “go-to” person for a particular subject. At the same time, never stop networking; you will find yourself pulled into all sorts of projects, and those connections are invaluable. Share your knowledge freely, build your reputation as an expert and always say “yes” to new tasks. New challenges bring new competencies. If you can master the work while also maintaining your professional boundaries, you will go far. Ultimately, everyone wants to work with someone who is genuinely passionate about what they do.

Whether you’re hiring top Public Affairs talent or considering your next career move, our team would be delighted to support you.

Peter Ferguson is Managing Consultant in the Public Affairs Practice. Peter advises and supports some of the world’s most renowned communications consultancies, boutique public affairs agencies and global in-house clients.

Hanson Search is a globally recognised, award-winning talent advisory and headhunting consultancy. Our expertise lies in building successful ventures worldwide through our recruitment, interim and executive search in communications, sustainability, public affairs and policy, digital marketing and sales.