Meet our new committee member: Thanzyl Thajudeen

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what attracted you to joining the International committee?

I have over a decade of experience in PR, having worked in a trio-setting, in both the corporate and development sectors. I have always been keen on elevating the PR industry and profession regionally and globally, and joining the CIPR International Committee will enable me to gain a multitude of insights, interacting with senior like-minded professionals across the region, and be a part of one big community, working together to tackle some of the industry's most pressing challenges, and to inspire, mentor and guide the next generation of PR professionals. 

What would you say are the biggest challenges or opportunities facing PR professionals in your country / internationally right now?

I believe some of the challenges in all parts of the world that PR professionals face, include the need to educate clients about what PR is really all about/industry awareness, bridging the skills gap and upskilling/diversifying talent pool, embracing behavioural data and analytics, proving ROI to clients/budget cuts, and lack of ethical/responsible frameworks. 

What are you most proud of?

I'm proud of all my achievements, all thanks to the Almighty. And I'm proud of being able to advocate on how PR and comms should be used for the greater good of society, and how we as professionals, brand custodians, and organization counsellors have a moral obligation to do the right thing.