AI poses new threat to Australian business leader reputations, index finds
Hunter Advisory
AI poses new threat to Australian business leader reputations, index finds
Key Facts:
- Executive and leadership reputations now shaped by AI as more people use AI for search
- The Hunter Reputation Index is Australia's first diagnostic tool identifying what AI platforms say about business leaders and how to manage that narrative
- AI profiles emerging as a reputational blind spot for Australian leaders
- Hunter Advisory launches today in Perth, founded by awarded communications strategist Nicole Moody
PERTH, Australia, 22 July 2026: Business leaders can now measure, map and manage what artificial intelligence platforms say about them, with the launch today of the Hunter Reputation Index.
This is the first diagnostic tool of its kind in Australia to give executives a clear picture of how AI platforms are representing them and deliver a bespoke strategy to change it.
AI has become the new first impression for business leaders
The Hunter Reputation Index was developed by Hunter Advisory, a new strategic communications and reputation management practice launched today by Nicole Moody, one of Western Australia's most experienced strategic communications advisors.
Ms Moody said the development of the Hunter Reputation Index is in response to a structural shift in how reputations are formed today with the emergence of AI.
"Leadership brands were traditionally built on earned media, relationships and track records — a slow-compounding asset shaped by journalists, peers and time. Today AI platforms sit above that entire stack, synthesising and surfacing a leader's reputation in seconds, which means the weighting has shifted from who you know to what's indexed," Ms Moody said.
"There is a science to where, what and how AI sources and synthesises its information into a summary. Understanding this is key to managing your reputation in the AI era. Business leaders may have an AI profile that is wrong — or they may return almost invisible AI profiles.
"Just like having a personal brand, every senior leader in Australia has an AI profile, whether they like it or not. When someone asks ChatGPT about a chief executive or a director, an answer comes back in seconds. It may be accurate, outdated, incomplete or simply wrong. If you are not mapping and managing this, it's a reputational risk."
Research identifies reputation management blind spot
According to LinkedIn, 93 per cent of recruiters now use AI to source and evaluate candidates. Roy Morgan Research finds 58 per cent of Australians aged 14 and over use AI tools. However, few organisations systematically check and manage what AI platforms say about their leaders.
Deloitte's 2026 Corporate Affairs Report found that while 95 per cent of corporate affairs leaders identify AI as a strategic priority, only 24 per cent have a formal AI strategy in place. Fewer still have mapped what AI platforms currently say about their leaders and organisations. The report identifies AI's role as a reputational gatekeeper as one of the most significant blind spots in the profession.
Nicole Moody returns to consultancy
The launch marks a return to advisory practice for Ms Moody, who most recently was Global Director of Communications at Fortescue. Prior to that, Ms Moody founded and led the multi-award-winning Hunter Communications, delivering communications counsel for a range of high-profile national and WA businesses.
Ms Moody said Hunter Advisory is the culmination of a career spent in senior roles across communications, media, politics, business and NED roles. She will be delivering clients strategic communications and reputation management, enhanced by a deep understanding of communications practices in this AI era.
"Hunter Advisory is not Hunter Communications 2.0. It has been refined and repositioned to manage corporate and executive reputations in an AI-led environment where the rules have changed, the platforms have multiplied, and the stakes are higher than they have ever been."
Media Contact:
Nicole Moody
Founder and Managing Director, Hunter Advisory
0407 401 077 / [email protected]
About us:
About the Hunter Reputation Index
The Hunter Reputation Index is a proprietary diagnostic tool developed by Hunter Advisory. It identifies what the market, media and AI platforms currently believe about a leader, and shapes the strategy to enhance and manage a reputation. The Index operates across three layers: an AI perception sweep across major platforms, a five-marker assessment framework, and Nicole's strategic assessment — the layer no algorithm can replicate.
About Hunter Advisory
Hunter Advisory is not a traditional PR agency. It is a senior communications and reputation advisory practice for leaders and organisations who understand that reputation is strategic capital. It works at the intersection of leadership, communications, trust, stakeholder confidence and public judgement. Hunter Advisory works with executives and organisations across the resources, energy, property, transport, health, education and B2C sectors. Find more at www.hunteradvisory.au.
About Nicole Moody
Nicole Moody is the Founder and Managing Director of Hunter Advisory, providing strategic communications and reputation counsel to executives and organisations. An experienced Non-Executive Director, former Global Director of Communications at Fortescue, political adviser and successful business owner, she was named PRIA National PR Professional of the Year. She was the founder of the multi-award-winning Hunter Communications and currently sits on the board of the West Coast Eagles.
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Nicole Moody, Managing Director and Founder of Hunter Advisory, the new communications consultancy behind the Hunter Reputation Index
