#14: Trust vs. Control; Lobbying and Corporate Diplomacy; Reputation Risks; Integrity in Business

In this episode of Beyond the Bubble, Andras sits down with Gui Athia, lobbyist and corporate affairs expert, TEDx speaker, and author of Get the Memo. With a career spanning leadership roles at Nike, Renault, Alcatel, and beyond, Gui shares his journey from Brazilian boardrooms to the heart of European public affairs.They explore the themes of trust, values, intuition, integrity and governance, drawing on Gui’s experiences related to corporate culture, building trusted brands and walking the fine line between his own values and his professional accountability.Gui tells the story of his career choices, including walking away from a senior role based on his instinct and integrity, and why trust isn’t a given, instead it’s built deliberately through action, consistency, and clarity. He shares the framework behind his book and introduces the idea of “trust pillars” as a practical way to align one’s values with strategic outcomes.Andras and Gui also discuss the role of lobbying and corporate diplomacy, the limits of performance metrics in stakeholder engagement, and the challenges of navigating the modern ‘age of opinion’, where visibility is high, scrutiny is intense, and leadership requires moral clarity.Stories of the Brazilian Carnival sponsorships to World Cup diplomacy, from risk-taking to boardroom persuasion, this episode is a lesson in business management, ethical leadership, and the art of making the invisible notion of trust tangible.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/athia/