Meet Clémence Arto, Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy for EMEA at Autodesk. A lawyer by training, she has built a career at the crossroads of public policy, technology and business, advising on some of the most pressing issues shaping Europe’s digital future. In this interview, Clémence shares insights on building bridges between policymakers and industry, leading across diverse geographies and sectors and embracing continuous learning in an era of rapid technological change.

Interviewed by Anastasiia Hresko­

As Autodesk’s Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy for EMEA, you lead policy engagement across complex regulatory environments and diverse political and business cultures. What is your philosophy for bridging in-house priorities and policymakers’ objectives across geographies? 

I see two dimensions to this challenge. The first is common to anyone working in public policy: bridging the perspectives of governments and the private sector. The second is doing so across very different geographies.

At its core, effective public policy requires understanding how each side thinks. It is natural for stakeholders to focus on their own objectives and constraints, but meaningful engagement only happens when you understand what drives the other party. If I don’t understand policymakers’ priorities and limitations, I cannot explain why a particular issue matters to the industry. Similarly, I need to understand the strategic priorities of the business and how policy developments may affect them.

I often think about this as a Venn diagram. On one side, there is public policy momentum and on the other - strategic corporate priorities. The most impactful work happens in the space where those two overlap. My role is to identify that common ground and focus our efforts there.

Working across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa adds another layer of complexity because priorities differ significantly from one market to another. One of the most challenging aspects of my role is deciding where to focus first. It requires taking a step back from the headlines and resisting the temptation to follow every emerging trend. My approach is to focus on the issues where there is both strong policy momentum and a clear connection to strategic business objectives, while maintaining open communication with stakeholders across all geographies.

 I often think about this as a Venn diagram.On one side, there is public policy momentum and on the other - strategic corporate priorities. The most impactful work happens in the space where those two overlap.

Your career has evolved from legal and public affairs practice to leadership roles in global technology companies. You’ve worked on topics such as AI, open data, and digital transformation across the public and private sectors. How has this cross-sectoral experience shaped your understanding and approachto public policy?

One of the most formative experiences in my career was working at Doctrine, a legal-tech start-up where public policy was closely connected to the company’s core business strategy. Unlike larger organisations where legal and public affairs teams can sometimes operate at the margins, I worked directly alongside product, technology and commercial teams.

That experience gave me a much deeper understanding of how different functionsoperate, the pressures they face, and the ways public policy decisions can directly affect their work. At the time, I was leading efforts to expand access to legal data and case law, which was essential to building AI-powered tools for legal professionals. The outcomes of our policy work had a direct impact on the product and on the company’s ability to innovate.

What I took away from that experience is the importance of communication and alignment. Public policy professionals cannot simply explain what they are doing - they need to explain why it matters to different stakeholders. While policy outcomes are not always easy to quantify, it is essential to translate them into concrete benefits that resonate with colleagues across the business.

More broadly, working across sectors has taught me to appreciate different perspectives and constraints. Whether you are engaging with policymakers, engineers, product teams or commercial leaders, progress depends on building bridges between those worlds and finding common objectives.

Public policy professionals cannot simply explain what they are doing - they need to explain why it matters to different stakeholders.

AI is reshaping nearly every industry, including law and public infrastructure, at an unprecedented rate. From your perspective, what are some of the most important conversations policymakers and companies should be having right now around this topic? How does your work contribute to shaping policy conversations?

When discussing AI, I believe it is important to move beyond the initial focus on AI that generates text and images and consider how AI is being applied in the real world.

At Autodesk, we work with what I would describe as applied or industrial AI. Our technologies support the design and delivery of buildings, infrastructure, manufacturing processes and engineering projects. AI can help organisations design more resilient infrastructure, improve efficiency and make better decisions throughout the lifecycle of a project. For me, one of the most important policy conversations today is, therefore, not only about developing AI, but about deploying it effectively and ensuring that professionals can use it to create tangible value.

A second critical discussion concerns the future of work. AI is transforming how we access, organise, and use information. Many professions, including my own, are already feeling its impact. This raises important questions about skills, training and value creation. How do we equip people to work alongside AI? What unique value do humans continue to bring? These are questions that both policymakers and businesses need to address.

What I enjoy most about my role is bringing a practical perspective to these conversations. I have the opportunity to share real-world examples of how AI is being applied across industries and to contribute to discussions on how we can prepare both organisations and future generations for this transformation.

Your work on public policy and government affairs intersects with highly technical domains, from digital innovation to industry and even sustainability. How do you build confidence and credibility to effectively engage across a wide range of expertise in different sectors?

One lesson I have learned over the course of my career is that credibility doesn’t come from knowing everything. It comes from knowing what you know, recognising what you do not know and being willing to learn.

When working on highly technical issues, it’s important to identify the areas where you need additional expertise and seek out different perspectives. At the same time, I’ve realised that we often know more than we think. Valuable insights can come from previous experiences, seemingly unrelated fields or knowledge acquired in other contexts. 

One piece of advice I received early in my career from WIL President Thaima Samman was to use those experiences to create connections and comparisons. Even when you are not a technical expert on a specific issue, you can contribute a different perspective that helps move the conversation forward. As long as you are transparent about what you know and do not know, those insights can strengthen your credibility rather than diminish it.

I also believe that credibility is less about the volume of knowledge you possess and more about how you structure and communicate it. The ability to connect ideas, identify patterns and explain complex issues clearly is often more valuable than being the deepest expert in the room.

Finally, I’ve learned the importance of choosing your battles. It is impossible to master every topic. Instead, I focus on continuously learning while selecting a few areas where I can develop deeper expertise. You don’t need to know everything to contribute meaningfully - you simply need to stay curious, keep learning and bring thoughtful perspectives to the discussion.

Credibility doesn’t come from knowing everything. It comes from knowing what you know, recognising what you do not know and being willing to learn.