"I am a bridge builder between the worlds of business and politics, and support businesses being listened to and understood."
Axel Brugger
"I am a bridge builder between the worlds of business and politics, and support businesses being listened to and understood."
Axel Brugger
VERITAS ADVISORY SERVICES
Do you want your voice to be heard in political discussions but feel that policymakers don’t understand your perspective? Are you facing a complex business situation—such as a transaction, restructuring, or site closure—and need someone to manage political considerations while you focus on operations?
Rather than hiring a large consultancy firm, you need an expert who approaches your challenges with the professionalism of a government affairs department from a leading corporate group. A consulting firm where your entire project is handled directly by the owner.
Someone who understands the inner workings of government and knows how to craft impactful messages. Someone who has firsthand experience in corporate environments and has built and led professional government affairs departments for major enterprises. Someone who understands all sides of an issue and can build bridges, even in complex and contentious situations.
That’s what Veritas Advisory Services delivers.
I help you identify key decision-makers and present your position in a way that ensures it is clearly understood. I support you in navigating all political matters affecting your business.
ADVOCACY
Are you affected by new regulatory initiatives? Do you believe policymakers are not fully considering the unintended consequences of their regulations?
Are you wondering how US trade policy, Chinese investment regulation or European regulations like the AI Act, CSRD, NFRD, or CSSD will impact your business?
Veritas Advisory Services helps you navigate the complex regulatory landscape. I support you in anticipating changes, strengthening your position in political discussions, and achieving measurable impact.
I help you engage in the right conversations with the right messages and decision-makers—whether in Brussels, Berlin, or any other capital where your business might be affected. I have experience solving complex challenges at an international but also at the state and municipal levels. If necessary, I ensure your perspective is strategically placed in relevant media outlets to maximize impact.
Do you want to establish a lasting political presence rather than just reacting to issues as they arise? You need a professionally developed political positioning strategy, fact-based arguments, and a clear, compelling narrative.
You want your voice on important issues to be not only heard but truly understood in the world of politics? Then you need a professionally developed political and media positioning plan. Hard facts are essential, but not enough. You need a convincing narrative to get your message across.
Axel Brugger
You want your voice on important issues to be not only heard but truly understood in the world of politics? Then you need a professionally developed political and media positioning plan. Hard facts are essential, but not enough. You need a convincing narrative to get your message across.
Axel Brugger
STRATEGIC POSITIONING
Do you need to understand who influences policy decisions regarding your industry or product? Do you feel your position is not receiving sufficient attention in political discussions?
I assist with the political positioning of your company or personal brand in Brussels and Berlin.
Identifying key stakeholders and their positions is a crucial first step before initiating contacts. Building strong alliances with like-minded stakeholders—including companies, trade associations, and organizations—can amplify your messages and increase your impact.
Do you need a monitoring system for regulatory developments?
A fully automated, AI-optimized early warning system can keep you informed with daily updates on issues relevant to your business.
CONSULTING
Crisis Management: Are you in a crisis situation and need expert guidance to manage political interfaces effectively
In challenging business scenarios, missteps in political engagement can have serious consequences, including reputational damage, disputes over subsidies, regulatory issues, or blocked transactions
> Case Study: Advising Family-Owned Businesses
Experience in crisis communications with policymakers can be decisive in mitigating risks and ensuring positive outcomes.
Market Entry and Site Selection. Planning a market entry or site selection and unsure of potential political risks?
With my experience, I help identify and manage critical political factors that influence market entry, expansion, and exit strategies.
"You may not be interested in geopolitics, but geopolitics is interested in you.”
Ken McCallum, Leiter MI5, Großbritannien, Oktober 2023
"You may not be interested in geopolitics, but geopolitics is interested in you.”
Ken McCallum, Leiter MI5, Großbritannien, Oktober 2023
Key geopolitical risks for businesses in 2025 include:
- Middle East instability and the risk of military escalation
- Deglobalization and increasing disruptions to global trade
- U.S.-China tensions and potential conflict over Taiwan
- The EU’s declining competitiveness potentially shifting investment flows
- Strict AI regulations in the EU
- Rising conflicts between autocratic and democratic states
Mergers & Acquisitions. Are you considering a corporate transaction affected by political factors such as investment screening or export controls?
I provide guidance on navigating the regulatory and political landscape.
Investment Advisory. Are you investing in assets influenced by political developments and political risk? Do you want to assess how policy changes might affect the value of your investments?
Contrary to common belief, political risks can be quantified. Established methodologies allow for scenario modeling, enabling businesses to assess the impact of political disruptions on investments and make data-driven decisions.
COACHING
Do you want to communicate confidently and effectively in political discussions? Preparation is key, as political language differs significantly from corporate communication. Political conversations are shaped not only by facts but also by the subtle nuances of language and messaging.
Many executives underestimate the importance of preparation when engaging with political stakeholders at the national, state, and local levels. Without proper preparation, misunderstandings and missteps are inevitable.
Veritas Advisory Services provides coaching before important meetings with policymakers, offering one-on-one training, workshops, and role-playing exercises.
Project examples
Project example 1: A German company is considering selling a 25% stake but is uncertain about the implications of potential government investment reviews.
The Challenge:
The company division to be sold off contained a product line that might be considered as an “Emerging Technology” or “critical infrastructure”. In this case, the transaction would face extensive government scrutiny.
The Solution:
Veritas Advisory Services works with internal product managers and external experts to understand the likely classification of the affected product line. Similar cases are identified and studied in more detail and compared for possible lessons. The company’s senior management is prepared for conversations with the authorities. The conversations with the authorities are supported by a specialized law firm.
The Result:
The transaction has been approved and went ahead.
Project example 2: A North American private equity firm is increasingly concerned about regulatory and economic trends in the EU. However, its internal research team does not foresee significant risks to its core industries.
The Challenge
The management team seeks an external expert opinion on the risks posed by European regulations to specific industries. However, they do not want to engage traditional consulting firms; instead, they seek the perspective of an industry insider who also brings a deep understanding of political dynamics.
The Solution
Veritas Advisory Services conducts a comprehensive analysis of the current regulatory landscape for these industries, collaborating with technical regulation experts in Brussels. The assessment also includes a forward-looking perspective on potential new regulatory developments, considering the new EU Commission’s priorities, political shifts within EU member states, and evolving global economic and geopolitical dynamics affecting the EU.
The Result
The analysis indicates a high likelihood that the private equity firm’s target industries will face increasingly restrictive regulations, potentially placing them at a competitive disadvantage compared to non-EU counterparts.
Project example 3: A successful family-owned business ("hidden champion") in southern Germany faces regulatory interventions in its market while simultaneously needing to restructure its headquarters.
The Challenge:
The family business owner is a valued conversation partner, known for taking a clear stance and openly standing by his core beliefs. However, initial discussions with state-level policymakers have been confrontational and yielded no clear outcome.
The Solution:
In close collaboration with the business owner and his leadership team, a comprehensive fact-based assessment of the company’s situation and regulatory challenges is developed. After thorough fact-checking, the assessment is finalized in politically neutral language and serves as an information document and discussion basis for engagements at the local, state, and federal levels.
A stakeholder analysis reveals that numerous companies face similar challenges, which industry associations have yet to recognize. Key decision-makers within the relevant state and federal ministries and legislatures are identified. In partnership with the business owner, an authentic, open, and direct—yet politically viable—communication strategy is developed and refined through multiple coaching sessions. Meetings with decision-makers are scheduled and successfully conducted by the family business owner himself together with other impacted companies.
The Result:
The discussions are productive, leading to a consensus regarding the core problem of the regulation. It becomes clear that policymakers were entirely unaware of the unintended side effects of the regulation.
Current status: Ongoing.
ABOUT VERITAS ADVISORY SERVICES
Axel Brugger founded Veritas Advisory Services after 20 years at the intersection of business and government in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the U.S.
He has deep expertise in the political processes and power structures of governments. Axel Brugger worked behind the scenes at the German Chancellery, advising on national and international economic policy. His responsibilities included drafting policy recommendations, speechwriting, and preparing high-level political discussions and negotiations, including during major international crises.
Respected by decision-makers across the political spectrum, he is known for his pragmatic and bridge-building approach to contentious issues.
At Siemens, he led political strategies for multi-billion-dollar international projects. After Siemens Energy’s spin-off, he established and led the Government Affairs division for Siemens AG in Germany, advising multiple CEOs and board members on political engagement.
Earlier in his career, he was a strategy consultant and economic policy advisor for governments across Europe and the Middle East. He also gained banking experience at KfW, deepening his understanding of capital markets.
Axel Brugger holds degrees in Political Science from Freie Universität Berlin, Law and Economics from King’s College London, and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University.
He actively supports various initiatives, serving on the board of the Harvard Club Berlin, as a founding member of the Harvard Scholarship Foundation Germany and advising the Value for Good Foundation, a leading consultancy for social impact initiatives.