Opportunity for senior leaders to nurture the next generation of female PR and Communications talent. 

Refreshed selection process for Shadow Board with  10 positions now open for upcoming female talent in the industry. 

Monday 14 April – Women in PR (WiPR) is inviting applications for its 2025 Shadow Board as well as mentors for its flagship mentoring programme – which will be heading into its twelfth year. 

The Shadow Board is open to women with up to five years’ professional experience working in PR and communications. The group will support the Women in PR committee – assigned to specific working groups including campaigns, membership, social and digital, events, insights and evaluation, and mentoring – to ensure the organisation can deliver its action plan for members and the wider industry. 

This year, Women in PR has introduced a more rigorous and inclusive selection process for the 10 rising stars who will make up the Shadow Board, with greater focus on diversity of expertise, background and experiences to ensure a better reflection of the lived experiences across the PR and communications industry. 

All interested practitioners are invited to  submit  an online application which will then be evaluated by a judging panel consisting of representatives from the PRCA Equity Inclusion Advisory Board, Taylor Bennett Foundation, and PR Week, alongside WiPR committee members. Each role has a specific job description, outlining the skills and experience required, and to remove financial barriers to entry, applicants aren’t required to be a current WiPR member.

The changes are designed to increase representation, and support WiPR as it  continues to take strides in its mission to advocate for greater diversity and numbers of women in leadership roles in the industry.

The 2025 Shadow Board judging panel includes:

• Alex Pearse, Executive Director, Golin 
• Abbie Sampson, Director, Brunswick and Taylor Bennett Foundation Trustee
• Clara Biu, Non-Executive Director, Pitch Marketing Group
• Eliza Wiredu, News Reporter, PR Week
• Ginny Paton, Managing Partner, Ogilvy and Vice President, Women in PR
• Ishtar Schneider, Chair of the PRCA Equity and Inclusion Advisory Board and Global People and Organisation Comms Lead, Mars Petcare
• Lindsay Landi, Head of PR and Communications, Samsung UK

The search for Shadow Board comes after WiPR saw record numbers of senior women applying to join its committee earlier this year, with 55 applicants for just six committee positions. 

Jo Carr, president of WiPR, said:

“Our ambition with both the Shadow Board and mentoring programme is to help women accelerate their careers, break down barriers and achieve whatever success looks like for them. We are actively seeking greater representation – across geography, sectors and lived experiences – to offer different perspectives and fresh insights to ensure the work of Women in PR continues to reflect what matters most to women in our industry. 

The Shadow Board is a great opportunity for emerging talent to contribute to driving meaningful change, while also forging industry connections and gaining new skills that will support their career.”

Alongside the Shadow Board, Women in PR is calling for both senior men and women PR and Communications leaders to volunteer their time as a mentor in its highly successful mentoring programme, run in partnership with PR Week. The scheme helps empower mentees tackle key challenges women still face in the workplace – breaking barriers to promotion and helping build new mindsets, skills and capabilities, overcome personal or professional challenges and build confidence in their own leadership. 

Mentors commit to at least six, one-to-one mentoring sessions across 12-months to help support the career development of future leaders. They receive pro-bono coaching support and become part of a community of fellow mentors. All mentors have a maximum tenure of two consecutive years, to give them an opportunity to take a break and ensure a fresh cohort who can bring new perspectives. 

2024 mentor Emily Luscombe, Partner and EMEA agency Lead, ERM said:

“Being part of the WIPR mentoring community is rewarding both professionally and personally. It’s an opportunity to apply your years of experience and the network you’ve built, to help other women achieve their goals. Along the way you’ll meet all sorts of inspiring people who’ll broaden your own perspective and network. I’ve got every bit as much back from mentoring as I’ve put in – and look forward to being partnered with a new mentee next year!”

Kirsty Leighton, Founder and Group CEO, Milk and Honey PR, and current mentor added:

“Mentoring is essential in PR—it empowers women to rise by sharing wisdom, support, and real-world insight. It builds confidence, opens doors, and strengthens our collective voice in an ever-evolving industry. When we lift each other up, we all go further.”

Click here to view the Shadow Board role descriptions

To apply for the Shadow Board click here

To apply to be a mentor click here

Applications close on 28th April and 5th May for the Shadow Board and Mentors, respectively.