Social licence – panel discussion
L-R: Jodie Brough, Ashley Jarquin, Natalie Malligan, Henry Byrne
Social licence Key points: •
social licence is not just a communications challenge, it is about how a business is accepted by its stakeholders
•
social licence is an integral part of business strategy and service delivery, and
•
the relationship between government and industry is critical in getting and maintaining a social licence to operate
Panellists: ►► Henry Byrne, Group Executive, Corporate Affairs, Transurban ►► Ashley Jarquin, General Manager, Corporate Affairs and Marketing, John Holland ►► Natalie Malligan, Head of Cities, Australia and New Zealand, Uber
Moderator: ►► Jodie Brough, Partner and Office Head (Sydney), Newgate Communications
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Jodie Brough (JB): As a communications professional, I spend so much of my time talking about social licence. This is often with clients who are nervous about what it means for them and feeling that it’s going to change them in ways that are expensive and not constructive. That is why this is a timely conversation to be having. Social licence is a very fluid and subjective concept. It depends on where you are, whether you’re a proponent, a regulator, or a consumer. How do you define social licence and what’s driving the focus on it? Is it a communications or a business challenge? Henry Byrne (HB): It is not a communications challenge. Anyone who approaches the challenges around social licence as
