Public affairs is the heart of the democratic process: Laura Batchelor

Laura Batchelor is a director of FIPRA International and has more than 20 years experience as a public affairs professional, with a particular focus on the life sciences sector.

Laura advises companies, NGOs and associations on EU legislation and policy. She has long experience of developing engagement strategies at national and European level to deliver policy change.

Serving as Vice-President of the FIPRA Network Advisory Board, Laura shares in this interview some highlights and philosophies that have marked her 20-year journey in the dynamic world of public affairs.

Laura: My interest in the world of public affairs was sparked by a meeting with the private office of the then UK Prime Minister John Major at 10 Downing Street and that took me to working at the European Commission early on in my career.

I found public affairs fascinating as there was a clear need for a connector between the government, political policymaking and the private sector. Apart from the thrill of developing a business case, I find that our role as intermediaries in government relations means we’re squarely part of the democratic process.

The idea of having a global network was a core tenet of FIPRA even when it was set up back in 2000 since we understood that political power resides in capitals around the world. 

As we continued to establish our reputation and drive engagement in the Brussels market, we could also help clients with global needs thanks to the FIPRA Network. Our clients appreciated the way we worked and so we have been client-led into markets. As a result, FIPRA was firmly put on a trajectory of being a leader in global government relations.

Laura: As the Covid19 pandemic continues to impact Europe and the world,  now is actually the most important time to focus on the life sciences and pharmaceutical sectors which bring life-saving technologies to the market.

What the Covid response has yet again demonstrated is the power of public-private partnerships; how a patient-centric approach led to research, production and approval of vaccines in record time.

In fact, now more than ever, the challenge is working with policy makers and political leaders to connect science and society, and build trust.

There’s no doubt that the best campaigns entail a strategic approach. One has to develop evidence-based, rational argumentation along with a credible advocacy strategy. But then you’ve also got to ensure an emotional resonance so it’s intuitive from a communications perspective.

I think one of the distinguishing features of the Brussels market is the complex, multidisciplinary engagement that’s needed in this regional marketplace. This is something that FIPRA has built out quite substantively in terms of the way we do business. We’ve over time built trust with stakeholders, both in the institutions and more widely, to be able to gain traction and get your voice heard among the people who count.

I think Brussels is quite a specific market that’s becoming even more complex. In such a space, the ability to build consensus across a broad range of stakeholders is critical to be able to move policy.

Laura: A personal highlight was launching the Alliance for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). When a piece of EU health and safety legislation was inadvertently drafted in a way which would hinder the use of MRI for patients, we launched a multi-stakeholder strategy to amend that directive. 

Eventually, the European Commission repealed the Directive and introduced a revised proposal with a derogation, recognising that MRI had been used for over 25 years, imaging up to 500 million patients without any evidence of harm to workers due to electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure. It was only the second time that an EU Directive had been repealed and revised.

This to me was a landmark case. Far beyond just about the technical nuts and bolts, good legislation can vastly improve and even save people’s lives. This is a big motivator for me when it comes to my profession. 

In a similar vein, FIPRA launched a campaign to help European health systems develop effective, lifelong approaches to the diagnosis, treatment and care of people living with HIV. This has been a signature piece of work, which has changed the landscape for the HIV community in the European region.

Laura: The FIPRA Network is a voluntary network of independently-owned boutique public affairs agencies. So, professionals – who are leaders in government affairs in their respective markets – work together only because they want to work together. I think that’s an incredibly important motivator.

This means I have the privilege of working with the best brains and strategic minds. Our members are used to working in a multidisciplinary way – often working alongside lawyers, economists, or even behavioural scientists – to co-create robust strategies to meet defined objectives. This is a fun, intellectually stimulating and creative process. One can work on really exciting and inspirational campaigns together.

In terms of the Network itself, I think there’s an increasing need for a really agile, nimble network that can respond in real time without bureaucracy to deliver political intelligence and policy insights. I think the FIPRA Network is uniquely positioned to be able to support the development of innovative and sustainable public affairs strategies.

(As told to Rahul Venkit)