CIPR group for anyone working in or interested in international communication
CIPR International Committee 2023
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The CIPR International Committee comprises professionals from diverse areas of PR, including city, public affairs, and education, all of whom are united in their desire to make a positive impact in the industry and extend the global impact of PR.
Please contact the Committee Chair, Samantha Seewoosurrun, for opportunities, or the Committee Secretary, Taazima Kala-Essack, for more information.
Samantha Seewoosurrun - Chair
Samantha is a seasoned international PR professional, with experience across corporate, financial and government communications, having worked for some of the world’s leading agencies and international institutions. She has been based in Mauritius since 2015, where she is Managing Director of the PR and publishing firm Perpetual Motion, which focuses on financial services, technology and FinTech. Samantha has experience of directing campaigns for the Mauritian Government and the EU and offering high-level strategic advice and counsel to private sector companies, trade associations and not-for-profit institutions, leveraging insights from her past work in the European Parliament, UK House of Commons and US Congress.
Samantha is the creator and co-founder of the pan-African news portal PlatformAfrica.com and has been appointed as Ambassador for Mauritius by the Women in Africa Initiative. She launched the CIPR network in Mauritius in March 2019, and in 2020 fostered a collaboration between CIPR International and Africa Communications Week to promote training among Africa-based PR professionals
Crispin Thorold - Vice Chair
An international communications consultant who has worked in more than forty countries, leading comms for global not-for-profits and international organisations, Crispin started his career as a BBC correspondent in the Middle East and South Asia. He has since led communications for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the first international terrorism tribunal, and for WorldSkills a not-for-profit which organises the world championships of trades. He has also worked as a crisis comms advisor at world top 20 university, the University of Toronto.
Crispin is a fellow of the CIPR and of the Royal Society of Arts. He is also a Chartered PR practitioner, and holds Masters degrees from King’s College London and the University of St Andrews. From 2023-24, he will be a member of the CIPR Council.
Taazima Kala-Essack - Secretary
Taazima is a Chartered Member of the CIPR since 2020 and is based in Gaborone, Botswana. She's been part of the CIPR community since 2014 and is currently the General Manager and Lead Consultant of Hotwire, a leading Africa-based PR consultancy. She is a Member of the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA) and sits on the boards of MISA Botswana, the Association of Communications Agency Botswana, and NGO, Learn To Play.
Taazima is passionate about strategy, crisis consulting and reputation management.
Stuart Graham - Treasurer
Stuart is the Finance Director of Lansons Communications LLP. A Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, and with over twenty-five years’ experience in the media & research industry, Stuart not only looks after the partnership's finances at Lansons, but also has a hand in helping run the day to day business operations.
Professor Anne Gregory PhD
Professor Emeritus, Anne, is former Chair of the Global Alliance and past President of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations. Anne is an internationally recognised teacher and researcher on public relations leadership, planning, ethics, evaluation and capability. She works with the UK Government Cabinet Office, National Health Service, World Health Organisation and is a member of the CIPR’s #AI in PR Panel.
Anne holds the CIPR’s Sir Stephen Tallents Medal, the Institute for PR Distinguished Pathfinder Award, the Premio Internacional Award from Portugal, The Atlas Award from the PRSA the CPRS Outstanding Achievement Award.
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Eva Maclaine
Principal of Maclaine Communications, Eva focuses on strategy development, issues management and stakeholder engagement. Clients include blue chip UK organisations and, as a multilingual PR practitioner, she also advises internationally at senior government level. She is a CIPR Fellow, a past chair of CIPR International and was a CIPR Board Director for four years. In 2021 she was invited to join the Global Alliance’s European Regional Council.
Eva is an occasional guest lecturer and a contributing author on international communications to An Introduction to Public Relations (Pearson May 2013) and to CIPR’s Platinum (2018). She was awarded the CIPR Sir Stephen Tallents medal and the PRO PR Globe Award.
Shirley Collyer
Former CIPR International Chair and CIPR Fellow Shirley was on the CIPR Council for 2021/22 and was co opted onto the CIPR Board for 2019. Shirley has over 30 years’ experience in communications. She spent 25 years at Lansons, the reputation management consultancy, where she provided strategic advice to, and implemented programmes for, a range of international clients across the financial services industry as well as leading Lansons’ involvement in Global Communication Partners (GCP), the specialist international network of leading independent public relations consultancies. Shirley retired from her role as board director and partner at Lansons in 2019.
Andras Sztaniszlav
Andras is an expert in strategic communications and public relations with a solid track record of building bespoke solutions for different organisations in the UK and mainland Europe (mainly Central-Eastern Europe). His wide variety of projects include reputation, CSR, digital and content strategy as well as crisis comms and public affairs campaigns. Multiple award-winning professional, frequent speaker at international conferences. He is the President of the Hungarian PR Association, a Fellow of the CIPR and Chartered Practitioner.
Saad Al Rubaiaan
Saad is a Kuwaiti professional who has served previously for both private and government sectors in Dubai and is now running his agency, CYLKA, which specializes in communications and CSR advisory. Currently, he sits in multiple boards including, YAL organization, LSE Generate (GCC), College of Communication at University of Sharjah and RYTS Investment group.
He received his BSc. degree in PR from University of Sharjah and Executive Master’s in Social Business & Entrepreneurship from London School of Economics (LSE). Al Rubaiaan has co-authored 4 publications and writes frequently for the Middle East version of “Harvard Business Review”.
Ferdinand L. Bondoy
Ferdinand is a globally award-winning communications practitioner and a certified digital marketer and crisis counselor in Asia-Pacific. He specialises in a number of disciplines including Strategic Communications, Integrated Marketing Communications, Marketing and Corporate Public Relations, Advocacy Communications, and Digital, Social and Content.
He is the Regional Integration & Chief Executive Director, Partner and Co-Founder of COMCO Southeast Asia, a global award-winning integrated communications agency headquartered in the Philippines with affiliate network presence in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, that champions the practice of the emerging global disciplines of New PR and Smart Social.
Derek Chung
Derek was born and raised in Hong Kong. He finished his master's degree in International Public Relations and Global Communication Management at Cardiff University, studying celebrities' crisis management and reputation rebuild as well as cultural differences between the East and the West for his dissertation.
He holds a bachelor's degree with honours in politics and public administration in HK. He has an international perspective and is trilingual (English, Cantonese and Mandarin). He starts his career as a Junior PR Executive focusing on logistics.
Emma Duke
A Chartered PR practitioner, Emma has 18 years of experience in corporate communications, working for PR agencies and complex global organisations such as Diageo and Oxford University Press. Emma brings strong leadership communications, public affairs, thought leadership and crisis management expertise. She has managed global crises, created award-winning thought leadership campaigns, implemented stakeholder engagement strategies across multiple countries and merged complex teams.
Emma is the owner of Emma Duke PR and co-founder of Public Relations Oxford.
Mabel Adeteye
Mabel is a classically trained corporate communications, public relations and digital marketing expert with over 14 years’ full time broad knowledge experience and practice covering high-profile communications strategies both with local and international brands. She has developed and managed communications strategies for leading brands in various sectors, such as; Technology, Aviation, Banking, FMCG, Breweries, Automobile, Telecommunications, Media, etc.
Mabel is currently the Head, Corporate Communications, PR & Digital for one of Nigeria’s leading broadcast media firm, TVC Communications; owners of TVC News, TVC and Max FM. She is accredited in public relations with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) UK, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), accredited in Digital Marketing, Integrated Communications and Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) UK.
A certified Advanced Branding expert with numerous digital certifications with Google and YouTube. Mabel is an alumnus of the department of Business Administration of the prestigious Babcock University, Ahmadu Bello University and the Lagos Business School.
Izabela Hamilton
Izabela is a communications specialist and certified executive coach with more than 15 years’ international experience. Her career has seen her implement PR and communications strategies for multinational companies across a diverse range of industries, including luxury hospitality at Jumeirah Group’s flagship hotel, Burj Al Arab, and global market intelligence group Euromonitor International, in addition to financial publishing, events management and education. With expertise in developing and managing external and internal communications, campaigns, she has had responsibility for crisis, reputation, agencies, events management, media relations, as well as training internal teams for public speaking opportunities.
Izabela is currently a Corporate Communications Trainer at the International School of Communication, delivering a range of PR courses for the MENA region. Izabela also specialises in career and communication coaching, delivering training on executive presence and soft skills development for high-performing individuals.
Alessandra Plichero
Alessandra is an international PR strategist based in the UK (London) and Italy (Vicenza). Alessandra helps global corporations to manage their communication strategy, to create long-term stakeholders engagement programmes and to preserve reputation alongside continued media presence. Alessandra primarily works in the manufacturing industries of biotech/agri-food/ leather and furniture and has high level of experience in these sectors.
Alessandra holds an MBA, a degree in economics and attended the London School of Journalism and has some academic teaching experience as a guest lecturer at international universities. She speaks Italian (Italy is her home country), English, basic French and Spanish.
Klao Bell-Lewis
Klao is a professional communicator with experience in public relations, marketing, journalism, and project management who has led corporate communications for multinational organisations within the Caribbean. A graduate of the University of Cardiff, Wales (which she attended as a Chevening Scholar), and of the University of the West Indies, Jamaica, she holds a MA in International Public Relations (Hons) and a BA in Literatures in English (Hons).
As evidence of her commitment to lifelong learning and enhancing her effectiveness, she has earned accreditations from the UK-based Chartered Institute of Public Relations (Chartered PR Practitioner) and the USA-based Project Management Institute (Project Management Professional - PMP).
Balint Brunner
Balint is an aviation and travel specialist PR consultant with five years’ agency, in-house and freelance experience representing high-flying brands – from global airlines to travel tech providers and tourism trade bodies. Before setting up his consultancy, Aero PR, he worked for travel PR company The PC Agency and world-leading aircraft manufacturer Airbus. Based in the UK, Balint holds an MBA in International Marketing from Bangor University and a CIPR-accredited PR degree from Bournemouth University.
His experience spans strategic communications, media relations and internal communications. Having served on the CIPR Wessex committee before joining CIPR International, Balint is also an Affiliate member of the Chartered Management Institute. He speaks fluent Hungarian and English, with some competence in Welsh.
Margarita Kouklaki Ntourou
A CIPR accredited PR practitioner, Margarita is a consultant at award-wining reputation management agency Lansons. A CIPR International volunteer since 2019, she was previously committee secretary for two years. Working in corporate communications with a focus in financial services, Margarita’s consultancy spans from asset management to banks and fintech. Client portfolio includes BlackRock, Allianz Global Investors, Capital Group, The Royal Mint, Société Générale & Kleinwort Hambros. Margarita graduated with a distinction from Cardiff University, completing an MA in International PR and Global Communications Management and a BA in Journalism.
She is business fluent in English and Greek, and has a good knowledge of French, Spanish, and Italian. In 2022, she was shortlisted for Headlinemoney’s Rising Star PR Professional of the Year award - the only agency candidate.
Richard Rose
Richard is a senior communications practitioner, consultant and mentor. He has held senior roles in the UK including Head of Communications at the Joint Council for Qualifications, where he spearheaded the national media operation for A-level and GCSE results. He is currently on assignment in the Caribbean and has held roles including that of Director of Communications and Public Education at a leading government agency.
Richard is skilled in developing integrated communication strategies; managing high-profile stakeholder relations programmes; internal engagement; media relations; and advising at Board level. He is passionate about sharing best practice in communications management and is a former visiting lecturer on a Master's degree programme in PR.
Claire Benson
Claire is the Founder and Director of SDG Changemakers, sustainability advisers specialising in food security. As a communications professional for 20+ years, Claire is passionate about ethical marketing practices and purpose-led communications and how data, technology, and nudge theory can influence sustainable development. Claire and the team focus on knowledge sharing, education, sustainable business model design and action plans to help organisations grow within the planet's nine boundaries.
Claire is a Chart.PR with the Chartered Institute of PR, Entrepreneur in Residence at Lancaster University and an assessor on the University of Cambridge's Sustainable Food Processing course. Claire regularly features as a panellist and spokesperson for sustainability and the need for systems thinking across sectors to reduce inequalities, collaborate for genuine, positive impact and create social, environmental, and financial sustainability.
Stuart Bruce
Stuart is internationally recognised as a PR Futurist – a thinker and doer in modernised public relations and communications. He specialises in strategy, measurement and evaluation, crisis communications and PR/communications technology. He is the co-founder of Purposeful Relations, a digital transformation consultancy for communications teams and PR agencies. Based in the UK Stuart works globally with clients throughout Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, including Ukraine, UAE, Australia, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Turkey and many more. He helps clients modernise and improve communications and public relations through measurement and use of new technology, professional practice and new workflows.
Since 2003 he has blogged at stuartbruce.biz. Stuart is a frequent speaker at international conferences (in person and remotely) and an international awards judge. He recently chaired the jury for the Global Davos Communications Awards. He is a Fellow of the CIPR, a Chartered Practitioner and has served on the CIPR board.
Omotola Akindipe
An External Relations professional in the UN system, Omotola has more than 10 years of experience in interagency coordination and communications. Currently, he leads the External Relations team for WHO in Angola with a focus on partnerships, reporting, donor relations and communications. Omotola is trilingual (English, Portuguese, and German) and has vast international experience having worked in several European and African countries.
Prior to working for the UN, Omotola co-founded Refugees Welcome Portugal and he was deputy project manager for Europe on Track, an initiative of the European Students’ Forum, that sends young people on a month-long trip to 25+ European cities to consult young people on topical issues. Omotola holds a Master’s in Human Rights and Cultural Diversity from the prestigious human rights department at Essex University, where he was awarded the Deborah Fitzmaurice Memorial Prize as the best master’s student of his cohort.
Nishika Bajaj
Nishika is Communications Consultant at Perpetual Motion and Deputy Editor of PlatformAfrica.com with focus on Fintech and financial services, backed with over 15 years’ experience across the financial services and communications space.
She started as an Associate Vice President at HSBC India in 2007 before going on to join the business editorial team at Hindustan Times. She has served as editor of the financial news website AfricaMoney and the Marketing Content Editor/Journalist at fund manager GroFin before joining Platform Africa. She won the title of LinkedIn Top Voice 2018 for Philanthropy and Global Development and is currently a recognised creator on LinkedIn, having authored numerous thought leaderships on FinTech and financial services for SMEs.
Tatiana Baió
Former CIPR International Secretary and Member of CIPR since 2021, Tatiana is a corporate communication and public relations professional with over 3 years of in-house experience within the Public and Third sectors. Accredited PR Practitioner, Tatiana leads integrated (marketing) campaigns and strategic media relations, having worked in several charity and business-led campaigns. She manages and monitors Welsh press coverage and implements strategic and targeted PR objectives for best practice.
Tatiana holds a MA degree in International Public Relations and Global Communications Management, completing her studies with Distinction at Cardiff University. She also holds a BA degree in Media and Communication from London Met University. She is fluent in English and Portuguese.
Simon Corbett
Simon is the Founder and CEO of The Jargon Group having founded JargonPR in 2008.
As CEO of The Jargon Group, a boutique business-to-business PR agency group, Simon looks after the business and works closely with his senior management team to manage the outstanding team of PR practitioners within JargonPR, GloHouse Media and Pelican Communications having led the acquisition of GloHouse and Pelican in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
Simon is an active member of the CIPR and PRCA and is passionate about giving his staff the opportunity to develop their professional selves through the rigour of learning and encourages his whole team to achieve Chartered PR status through the CIPR programme
Prior to this, Corbett spent over a decade at three of the top five global agencies, WeberShandwick, Porter Novelli and Edelman. Simon is passionate about using his own experience to encourage entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial thinking. His focus is on helping SME agencies reach their full potential both in the UK and Internationally.