Nader Mashnouk: Head of Corporate Communications, MENA, Yango Group

Global/Regional leaders became the interface for trust

If there was one defining shift in 2025, it was this: leadership, not branding, became the primary interface through which trust is built, particularly in technology.

As technology became more complex and more deeply embedded in everyday life, audiences stopped relying on polished corporate narratives to make sense of it. Instead, they began looking to people. Beyond innovation, they wanted judgment, accountability, and clarity. In that environment, trust stopped being a by-product of visibility and became the central currency of credibility.

This shift was most evident in how leaders chose to show up. The voices that resonated in 2025 were not those chasing reach or virality, but those engaging consistently and thoughtfully across select platforms. Trust was built over time, through coherence, repetition, and a willingness to explain not just what decisions were made, but why they were made.

Long-form formats, particularly podcasts, played a defining role in this change. Over the past year, they emerged as one of the most effective leadership channels precisely because they allow for depth. Extended conversations created space for nuance and reflection in a way headlines rarely can. They enabled leaders to demonstrate how they think, not just what they want to say.

This was especially true for leaders operating in the AI space. As AI systems grow more powerful and more misunderstood, the need for patient, contextual explanation has never been greater. Podcasts mirrored how real decisions are made: layered, evolving, and rarely perfect. In a landscape increasingly shaped by algorithms and automation, human explanation became a differentiator.

By the end of 2025, leadership communication had shifted from representation to responsibility. The leaders who earned trust were not necessarily the loudest, but the clearest.

From visibility to value

Looking ahead, 2026 will measure communications less by the attention it generates and more by what it enables.

Reach and visibility still matter, but on their own they do little to prepare organizations for the realities tech companies inevitably face. They do not build regulatory confidence, align partners, reassure investors, or create resilience under scrutiny. Those outcomes require credibility and consistency, along with authority.

This is why communications has always been a strategic function tied to risk management and growth, not a reporting exercise. In 2026, the most effective communications leaders will be judged by business-adjacent outcomes: trust with policymakers, alignment across ecosystems, and confidence from the investment community.

At the same time, we will see a shift from broad visibility to editorial authority. Being quoted everywhere will matter less than being trusted in the right places. Fewer platforms, higher signal, clearer positioning. Influence will come from depth rather than frequency.

These shifts are inseparable. Authority is what turns communication into impact, and trust is what converts visibility into influence. Communications that cannot move conversations forward will struggle to move businesses forward.

In tech especially, 2026 will not reward noise. It will reward clear thinking, responsible leadership, and meaningful engagement. Because communication is no longer about amplification. It is about alignment.