Kim Polley
Why Trust Is a Competitive Advantage with Kim Polley Ep 265 - The Global Discussion
Host Simon Hodgkins speaks with Kim Polley, Co-founder of Frontièr Advisory, a firm that helps organizations navigate some of the world's most complex markets.
Their conversation focused on reputation, trust, and the evolving challenges global businesses face when entering or operating in high-stakes environments.
Connecting Risk, Reputation, and Growth
Kim described Frontièr Advisory's mission in clear terms: to help organizations earn the right to operate in complex markets. The firm connects risk, reputation, and growth, providing leaders with foresight and practical tools to anticipate problems before they become costly.
As she explained, many companies still approach communications at a tactical level, missing the bigger picture of how reputation impacts or protects enterprise value. Her work is about helping businesses protect that value and build the trust that keeps them viable.
Trust as Tangible Value
What was once seen as intangible is now priced directly into company value, whether through investor due diligence, ESG ratings, or regulatory goodwill.
Kim spoke about what she calls the "trust dividend": the measurable value companies gain when they are perceived as fair, transparent, and dependable. Trust is not just about image, she argued. It results in lower costs of capital, smoother access to markets, stronger community and employee loyalty, and increased policy influence. In her words, trust pays, distrust costs.
From License to Operate to License to Belong
A central idea Kim has developed is the shift from simply having a license to operate to earning a license to belong. Compliance is no longer enough. Stakeholders, especially in emerging markets, want to know that companies align with their social, cultural, and economic values.
She recalled advice given by a Tanzanian leader: foreign investors must invest in a market, not just be investors. If a company does not become part of the local DNA, it risks being treated like a virus that communities will reject.
This idea is reflected in Frontièr Advisory's toolkits, which help leaders prove legitimacy, surface early warning signals, and diagnose whether behavior is creating trust or resistance.
The AI Shift
The conversation also touched on the impact of artificial intelligence on reputation. Kim was candid: AI is a tool, not a strategy. However, she emphasized that companies must carefully consider how AI now serves as a filter for their reputation. Increasingly, people are turning to AI systems for information instead of traditional news sources.
If a company is vague, absent, or inconsistent, these tools may misrepresent it. Leaders must ensure their narratives are clear, discoverable, and resilient in an AI-driven world where algorithms decide which version of them is remembered.
Lessons from Africa
Kim's experience across African markets adds depth to her perspective. She emphasized that Africa is not a single market but a continent of diverse economies, politics, and cultural expectations. Too often, it is seen only in terms of risk, when in reality it is a hub of innovation, from fintech in Kenya to agribusiness and energy solutions across the region.
She explained that African businesses operate in high-stakes environments without the luxury of assumed goodwill. They must earn legitimacy daily through conduct, resilience, and community engagement. This provides a powerful lesson for global companies: legitimacy is not a one-time license; it is an ongoing practice.
Crisis, Community, and Reputation
Kim also discussed how digital risk, crisis preparedness, and reputation management are increasingly interconnected. What begins as a local dispute or social media post can ripple globally in days. Her work often involves helping companies understand local stakeholder concerns at a granular level, whether that means engaging credible community voices or addressing social issues that matter more to residents than what appears in ESG reports.
Looking Ahead
When asked about the future, Kim was clear: the next decade will belong to organizations that move from operating in markets to belonging in them. This shift requires leaders to think differently about risk, trust, and legitimacy.
As she summed it up, Frontièr Advisory is not about spin. It is about helping leaders see risks before they cost, making trust tangible, and building reputations that endure.
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