Welcome to the Women in PR Speakers Directory, in partnership with the PRCA.
Research commissioned by Women in PR and Opinium has revealed that half (49%) of people in the communications industry feel there is a lack of diversity amongst speakers at public events. Women and those from BAME backgrounds were felt to be particularly under-represented with only 24% of women in communications having spoken at an event versus 35% of men.
This directory aims to help close this gap in public visibility by providing event organisers and media with a list of female PR and communications leaders and experts, from all ethnicities and backgrounds, who are open to public speaking opportunities. The directory is a free resource open to anyone to join or to use.
Women in PR is calling on female PR professionals from agency, in-house or consultants, of all ethnicities and backgrounds, to sign up. If you would like to be included in the directory please complete the following form below.
Please note applications to the directory are uploaded manually, so it may take a few business days for your profile to appear below.
Name: Farzana Baduel
Title / position: CEO Curzon PR
Location: London
Biography: She set up Curzon PR in 2009. Former Vice Chair of Business Relations for the Conservative Party. Farzana is also the resident public relations expert for the Foundry, at the University of Oxford. She is a Chartered PR practitioner & a Fellow of CIM.
Topics of expertise: Strategy, Storytelling, Personal Branding, Country Branding
Contact:
farzana@curzonpr.com
Name: Angela Balakrishnan
Title / position: Head of Media Planning Unit at Department for International Development
Location: London
Biography: I love creatively telling stories. I also thrive working on breaking news. Luckily I do both in my career which has taken me from Cancer Research UK health campaigns, launching Shared Parental Leave to responding to the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone
Topics of expertise: Media handling, strategic communications and campaigns, visits and high level events planning and communications, stakeholder engagement and crisis communications.
Contact:
Name: Barbara Bates
Title / position: Global CEO, Hotwire Global
Location: San Francisco, NYC, London
Biography: Barbara is Global CEO of Hotwire and former founder & CEO of Eastwick – acquired by Hotwire in 2016. She has more than 25 years’ experience working with brands to tell their stories, accelerate growth and build value in the Silicon Valley and beyond.
Topics of expertise: Why every company is a tech company, scaling company growth through comms, why mid-size is the right size for agencies, bridging international and silicon valley enterprises.
Contact:
Name: George Blizzard
Title / position: Co-founder, The PR Network
Location: London
Biography: George has worked in PR for 20+ years for international brands. After starting her career in Paris with international campaigns for brands including Mars, McDonalds,and IBM, she joined Bite in London in 2000 working in their international division. Whilst there, she worked for Apple, Samsung, Sun Microsystems, Toshiba and Openwave. George is co-founder of The PR Network, alongside Nicky Regazzoni, a role they have successfully run as a job share since 2005. George runs the Women in PR mentoring scheme with Nicky and is involved with the PRCA and the PR Council.
Topics of expertise: flexible working; new agency models; female entrepreneurship; work and wellbeing; growing a business
Contact:
Name: Celina Bond
Title / position: Dating and Relationship Coach and Entrepreneur
Location: Chelsea, London
Biography: Celina Bond has built a successful online business helping men and women strengthen the communication within the self and their relationships.
Topics of expertise: Emotional Intelligence, Online dating, enlightened communication, masculine and feminine energy work, communicating from energies.
Contact:
07721032944
Name: Eleanor Bradford
Title / position: Associate Partner
Location: North East Scotland
Biography:Eleanor handles PR for a range of clients. She was formerly Head of Comms at a Scottish university and, prior to that, was a correspondent with the BBC. She has spoken out about equal pay issues and has a regular column in a Scottish newspaper.
Topics of expertise:Engaging with the media, media trends, crisis management, equality issues and equal pay for women, NHS comms and communication issues relating to the health and science sectors.
Contact:
Name: Claire Bridges, MSc
Title / position: Chief Spark & Founder, Now Go Create
Location: London, UK
Biography: Best-selling author & Founder of Now Go Create, with 25 years experience as a former WPP MD & Creative Director, & 1 of only 100 people with an MSc in creativity & innovation. Claire believes in Creative Democracy and unleashing creative potential.
Topics of expertise: Applied creativity, innovation, creativity in PR, leadership, talent development
Contact:
Name: Antoinette Dale Henderson
Title / position: Keynote Speaker, Executive Coach & Author
Location: London
Biography: Founder of The Gravitas Programme with 25+ years’ experience in leadership development & communications. Published author (Leading with Gravitas) & regular keynote speaker on gravitas, confidence & female leadership. Chair of girls charity, BelEve
Topics of expertise: Leading with Gravitas, Accelerating Female Potential, The Confidence Kitbag
Contact:
Name: Jenny Davey
Title / position: Partner
Location: London
Biography: Strategic communications adviser, specialising in consumer facing companies and crisis communications.
Topics of expertise: Crisis communications, Property
Contact:
Name: Heather Delaney
Title / position: Founder
Location: London
Biography: World’s most influential crowdfunding & Startup specialist who takes a full-on approach across early stage startups to large listed behemoths. Trusted experience in everything from product development & packaging design to PR and marketing.
Topics of expertise: Mentoring women in the work environment, Startups, Crowdfunding, Global Strategy, Building an agency internationally
Contact:
Name: Charlotte Dimond
Title / position: Director
Location: Yorkshire
Biography: N/A
Topics of expertise: Crisis communication, social media, running an agency, communication strategy
Contact:
Name:Helen Crumley
Title / position: Head of Communications and Engagement
Location: Epping
Biography: A PR professional, Helen has over 20 years’ experience in both the public and membership sectors. Worked within organisations ranging from Essex County Council, NHS Improvement, Arts Council England, Business in the Community and London Councils.
Topics of expertise: Corporate communications, internal communications, event management, stakeholder relations, digital
Contact:
Name: Elisabeth Earl
Title / position: Founder
Location: London Fields, Hackney
Biography: Lizzie Earl is the founder of Munch, a PR company that offers big agency thinking with a boutique approach. Munch’s clients range from large household names right through to innovative challenger brands, Munch won PRWeek’s ‘New Consultancy of 2018.
Topics of expertise: Female entrepreneurship and building an agency Efficiency, How to work smarter, Working with start-ups PR with impact
Contact:
Name: Jayjay Epega MCIPR
Title / position: Executive Director EpegaMedia
Location: London/Los Angeles
Biography: 20+ years experience UK/US. Extensive background in Celebrity PR/Media Relations – clients have included Hollywood A list , TV Personalities & global brands. In-House work for companies including MTV Europe, Sony Music, Universal Music and CNN.
Topics of expertise: Celebrity PR, Crisis Management, Talent Development, Diversity in Media, Brand Management
Contact:
info@epegamedia.com
@Dgirljay
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/epegamedia
Name: Salima Fajal
Title / position: Director
Location: Europe
Biography: Salima is a lawyer in the financial service industry, having previously practised in both Paris and London. Her career has focused on alternative investments. Diversity in the boardroom, women’s equality and empowerment are topic close to her heart
Topics of expertise: Diversity, legal, compliance, europe
Contact:
Name: Jo Field
Title / position: Founder & Managing Director, JFG Communications
Location: London
Biography: Award-winning gender diversity expert & agency founder. Advises transport & infrastructure clients on stakeholder engagement, public affairs & workforce gender balance. Board Member of Women in Transport. Vice-chair of CIPR Construction Property Grp
Topics of expertise: Stakeholder engagement; women in transport; women in leadership; transport; construction
Contact:
Name: Claire Foster Chart.PR, MCIPR, MPRCA
Title / position: Senior Manager External Affairs (Corporate and Financial)
Location: London
Biography: Having spent over 14 years working as a communication professional in consumer, personal finance, insurance and roadside assistance, Claire currently works in external affairs for FTSE 100 insurer Direct Line Group. With both agency and in house experience, Claire has won Headline Money’s and PRCA’s PR Professional of the Year, she is part of the PRCA’s and CIPR’s In-House Team of the year, PRWeek’s Issues and Crisis Management, CorpComms Private Sector Communication and most recently, PR Moment’s Financial Services Campaign of the Year. She was named by journalists in the Press Choice personal finance report as ‘best in industry’ due to knowledge, reliability and approachability.
Claire is the Vice President of Women in PR and also sits on the Corporate Engagement Board of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.
Topics of expertise: Personal finance/financial services, crisis management, consumer, corporate, in-house, integrated campaigns
Contact:
claire.foster@directlinegroup.co.uk
www.linkedin.com/in/claireleonefoster/
@claireleonepr
Name: Jane Fordham
Title / position: MD
Location: London
Biography: Jane Fordham Consulting; People. Culture. Equality. Experienced consultant, trainer, speaker & moderator. Previously 15 years at trailblazing agency Golin, Firefly in tech pr before that. Current clients; CAA, Live Nation, Ipsos Mori, Centrica.
Topics of expertise: Diversity & inclusion, culture, leadership, wellbeing, EQ
Contact:
Name: Addy Frederick
Title / position: Senior Corporate Communications Manager
Location: London
Biography: Addy is an award-winning corporate communications specialist with over 10 years of reputation management experience who has worked for various well-known global organisations including Bupa.
Addy is a mentor on the BME PROs 2019 mentoring scheme
Topics of expertise: Personal finance/financial services; healthcare; crisis and issues management; integrated campaigns; brand reputation; PR for SMEs
Contact:
Name: Tricia Fox
Title / position: CEO, Volpa
Location: Perth & Dundee
Biography: Entrepreneur Tricia founded Volpa, now one of Scotland’s top independent marketing and PR agencies, at just 26. In 2018 she participated in the prestigious Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses scale up course and opened up a second office in Dundee.
Topics: Female entrepreneurship; growing a business; crisis communications; integrated campaigns; consumer
Contact: t.fox@volpa.co.uk
Name: Claire Gamble
Title / position: Managing director, Unhooked Communications | Founder, The Northern Creative Collective | Founder, PR Unlocked
Location: Manchester
Biography: A trained broadcast journalist, Claire has worked in PR for 12 years, working with large international organisations through to fast growth startups. Founder of PR Unlocked and The Northern Creative Collective, Claire supports startups and SMEs.
Topics: PR and SEO, women in business, PR for startups and SMEs, creative integrated campaigns, how PR can unlock exciting business opportunities.
Contact: claire@weareunhooked.com
Name: Ebony Gayle
Title / position: Author, independent consultant and founder of Ebonygaylecommunications.com & 9to5workrebels.com
Biography: Ebony Gayle is an author, speaker and advocate for independence, entrepreneurship and helping others to escape the rat race and follow their dreams. She is an accredited PR and communications specialist, with well over a 14 year’s experience advising, overseeing and implementing PR and marketing communication campaigns and strategies. She has worked across a variety of industries including, entrepreneurs, new start-ups, health and social care, fitness & leisure, education and entertainment.
Ebony previously worked in-house where she headed up a PR team, before starting her own business and founded Ebony Gayle Communications working as an independent consultant with clients in the UK and abroad. Ebony is the author of the no-nonsense self help guide – How to become a consultant: a guide to free yourself from the 9-5 and recently set up 9to5workrebels.com a platform to help unhappy professionals escape the 9-5 and follow their passion.
Topics: Escaping the 9-5; being independent; Starting your own business & wellbeing at work.
Name: Anna Geffert
Title / position: Associate Partner at Newgate Communications London and Sponsorship Secretary of Women in PR
Location: London
Biography: Anna has worked agency side in corporate and financial communications for over ten years specialising in Property/Construction, Financial Services, Energy, FMCG and Retail and has extensive experience in thought leadership research.
Topics of expertise: Corporate and Financial Stakeholder Engagement; Thought Leadership Research; Property and Financial Services
Contact:
Name: Jessica Gosling
Title / position: Senior International Policy Adviser I Founder & CEO I Brand Strategist I Speaker
Location: London
Biography: Senior policy advisor & creative strategist with experience working developing and building international partnerships under the lens of government, NGO & private firms in 10+ countries. Focusing on brand, identity, digital & cultural diplomacy.
Topics: International affairs/foreign policy, international business, branding & identity, cultural diplomacy, digital marketing
Contact:
Name: Jasmine
Title / position: Digital PR Executive
Location: Milton Keynes (can travel)
Biography: After working in traditional PR for a year, I moved to an award winning digital agency, Aira 9 months ago. I work across the full campign process from ideation to delivery and link building and love everything PR!
Topics: Outreach/media relations, language in pitches and press releases, how to create a media list, how to rescue a failing campaign
Contact:
Name: Sherawaye Hagger
Title / position: Consumer Brand Director
Location: London
Biography: Shera is a senior communications expert with over 15 years’ experience in consumer PR. She is the luxury lead at FleishmanHillard. Shera believes that the future of luxe is in inclusion and diversification. Experience: Diageo, LVMH, Bacardi, D&G
Topics: Luxe, Inclusion, Culture, Consumer Brand
Contact: sherawaye.hagger@fhf.london.co.uk
Name: Sarah Hall
Title / position: President of CIPR, Founder of #FuturePRoof and MD Sarah Hall Consulting Ltd
Location: North East / London
Biography: Sarah Hall is a pioneer of best practice in the PR industry and has a reputation as a diversity and inclusivity champion. A strong advocate of accountable leadership and women in business, Sarah believes in helping young talent break through
Topics of expertise: Industry trends; women in business (including diversity and inclusivity); organisational purpose; agencies of the future; social mobility
Contact:
Name: Bibi Hilton
Title / position: Managing Director, Golin and President of Women in PR
Location: London
Biography: Under her tenure as managing director of award-winning PR and digital agency, Golin, Bibi has championed flexible working, returnships and progressive parental policies and is proud Golin is the only large agency with a reverse gender pay gap in favour of women. She has been included on Management Today’s Power Part-Time List and named one of the most influential women in PR by PR Week.
Topics of expertise: gender pay gap; flexible working; returnships; parent-friendly workplaces; integrated communications
Contact:
Name: Laurian Hubbard
Title / position: Head of Brexit Communications for Wales
Location: Cardiff
Biography: A Chartered PR professional & senior communications leader. Experience working in private & public sector organisations. Highly skilled in communication, marketing & PR disciplines & mentor to others. Extremely passionate about the value of CPD.
Topics of expertise: CPD, Change Communications, strategy, crisis Comms and Brexit
Contact:
Laurianhubbard@gmail.com or 07989186103
Name: Amanda Kamin
Title / position: Director Marketing, Communications and Events
Location: London
Biography: Leads Digital Catapult’s marketing, communications and events department having previously been part of VisionFund International’s Senior Executive Team, supporting World Vision’s microfinance arm across 30 markets.
Topics of expertise: Crisis communication, corporate reputation, international networks, flexible working, financial inclusion
Contact:
Name: Emily Keogh
Title / position: Founder
Location: London
Biography: Emily started life in international agencies, working on global accounts for big brands. She set up Palm in 2010 with a clear objective: to create an agile, dynamic agency that specialised in the food and drink sector, working with disruptor brands.
Topics of expertise: Food, Drink, Disruptors, Start Ups, Hospitality
Contact:
Name: Heather Kernahan
Title / position: President, North America, Hotwire Global
Location: SF & NYC
Biography: Heather is a global marketing expert and business leader featured in Fast Company, Fortune & Adweek. She is President, North America, at Hotwire, leading offices in SF, NY, Minneapolis and Mexico City.
Topics of expertise: How to grow, innovation thinking, unlocking authentic leadership, comms that drives the bottom line
Contact:
Name: Ruth Kieran
Title / position: Managing Director
Location: London
Biography: With over 20+ years of consumer and corporate reputation experience, Ruth was Managing Partner at Kindred and Deputy MD of Lexis. A passionate advocate of diversity and inclusion she sits on the MAAG’s Advisory Board and chairs its diversity group.
Topics of expertise: Diversity, talent retention, employee engagement, women in business
Contact:
Name: Nicola Koronka
Title / position: Co Founder and Managing Partner
Location: City of London
Biography: With over a decade of hands-on experience in fintech PR and comms, Nicola works with established financial services providers, startups and challenger brands to improve their performance and grow their reputation through comms. Missive won Best Place
Topics of expertise: Fintech, Business impact comms, founding and scaling a business, Influencer engagement, building an award-winning business culture.
Contact:
Name: Elizabeth Laidler
Title / position: Director
Location: London
Biography: Classical musician turned founder & MD of virtual marketing communications consultancy Encore Communications. Over 15 years in the industry, covering sectors from the Arts to engineering. Flexible working practices for a 24:7 global marcomms world.
Topics of expertise: Media relations beyond the press release / Making flexible working work for all / Turning crisis into opportunity / Navigating the changing media landscape
Contact:
Name: Ronke Lawal
Title / position: Founder
Location: London
Biography: Ronke Lawal is the founder of Ariatu PR, a boutique PR consultancy which represents a variety of clients in the lifestyle & beauty, food and luxury goods sectors.
Topics of expertise: Media Relations, Crisis, Personal Branding, Digital PR, Global strategy
Contact:
Name: Gabriela Lungu
Title / position: Founder WINGS Creative Leadership Lab
Location: Europe
Biography: Awarded creative leader & entrepreneur, with 20+ years of integrated experience in the MarCom sector, in different countries & cultures. I now use my expertise to help companies elevate their creativity through training, workshops, public speaking.
Topics of expertise: Creativity, Creative Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Integrated Communications, Storytelling.
Contact:
Name: Shayoni Lynn
Title / position: Communications Manager, Cardiff University
Location: Cardiff
Biography: Strategic higher education communicator specialising in data-driven communications, harnessing audience insights and behavioural psychology to deliver successful campaigns that support business priorities.
Topics of expertise: Strategic communications, behavioural psychology, segmentation, measurement and evaluation, campaigns
Contact:
Name: Ali Marsland
Title / position: Founder/Director, The Effective English Company
Location: Nottingham, UK
Biography: Ali has 19 years’ experience including 15 in the public sector. She founded The Effective English Company to give communications leads extra capacity for writing, editing and proofreading. The team works remotely with organisations nationwide.
Topics of expertise: Clear and accurate communication; working remotely; running a remote business; freelancing
Contact:
Name: Claire Mason
Title / position: CEO and Founder
Location: London (also Brighton)
Biography: Claire is the Founder and CEO of Man Bites Dog, the strategic ideas company. With more than twenty years’ experience leading global strategic marketing programmes, Claire is an expert in global business branding, thought leadership and marketing communications. Man Bites Dog has won more than 60 consultancy and campaign awards and Claire was recently named Female Marketing Leader of the Year by the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Topics of expertise: Thought leadership, B2B marketing communications, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Diversity (including The Gender Say Gap)
Contact:
@womanbitesdog
Name: Lesley McLeod
Title / position: Chief executive
Location: Edinburgh/ London
Biography: Lesley McLeod is a talented and experienced communication expert now fronting a national membership association having made the leap from board-level PR/ PA to head honcho. Lesley is currently the chief executive of the Association for Project Safety
Topics of expertise: Crisis and reputation; media relations; change management; finance; government
Contact:
Name: Emily Morgan
Title / position: MD Consumer, Red Consultancy
Location: London
Biography: In a communications career spanning 20 years Emily has worked in most sectors – consumer, healthcare, public & third sector. She thrives on creating wildly ambitious campaigns and convincing clients to follow her artistic vision.
Topics of expertise: PR & Communications, Brands, Work Life Balance, authentic leadership
Contact:
Name: Gemma Moroney
Title / position: Head of Strategy & Insight
Location: London
Biography: Award winning strategist. Speaker at PRCA, PR Week and AMEC conferences on creativity, strategy, effectiveness. Recently co-authored a measurement guide for ISBA. Studied behaviour design with Stanford professor BJ Fogg. Mum of 3.
Topics of expertise: Strategy, planning, behaviour design, creativity, measurement/effectiveness
Contact:
Name: Imogen Nation
Title / position: Account Director
Location: London
Biography: Imogen has worked at both Hotwire and Brands2life, specialising in B2B tech and energy communications. She is passionate about creative storytelling . At Hotwire, she launched her own mini division – Energy, Environment and Sustainability.
Topics of expertise: 1. How to commercialise your passion at a PR agency. Launching a mini division and key learnings 2. Advice and mentoring for young account executives entering into PR 3. The changing nature of creative campaigns: how to deliver for clients 4. How to drive top tier national coverage for B2B tech and energy clients – why does good media relations still matter?
Contact:
imogen.nation@brands2life.com
Name: Anyika Onuora
Title / position: Team GB Olympic Medallist
Location: Loughborough/Liverpool
Biography: I am a multiple World, Commonwealth, European and Olympic medalist who would love the opportunity to speak on my journey through track and field as well as demonstrating ways in which to motivate others in their field of work.
Topics of expertise: Sport, Health, Winning Mentality, Overcoming fear,
Contact:
Name: Carmel O’Toole
Title / position: Senior Lecturer, Course Leader in Public Realtions
Location: Sheffield Hallam University
Biography: After 25 years working in journalism and PR, I now teach students at Sheffield Hallam University. I cover content from crisis management, media relations, corporate and social. My first book re local media, PR and democracy is published early 2019
Topics of expertise: Crisis communications, public sector PR, media and community relations, CSR
Contact:
Name: Cheryl Overton
Title / position: President
Location: New York
Biography: Cheryl Overton is a creative instigator with a passion for brands, an instinct for insights, a commitment to inclusivity and a knack for integrating digital solutions that leverage culture to drive awareness and fandom.
Topics of expertise: Creativity. Personal Brand. Multicultural Marketing. Brands. Diversity & Inclusion.
Contact:
Name: Sneha Patel
Title / position: Senior Advisor for External and International Affairs – Mayor of London’s office.
Location: London
Biography: Sneha is the Senior Advisor for External and International Affairs in the Mayor of London’s office. She has over 8 years of experience in communications. Her prior experience includes working for a senior Labour MP, on the 2012 US elections, and in central government press offices, where most recently she was the Head of Tax Communications at the HM Treasury.
Topics of expertise: Crisis communications; Communications in central and local government; Integrated campaigning; Political communications; Diversity and inclusion
Contact:
Name: Mandy Pearse
Title / position: Director
Location: Devon
Biography: Over 25 years experience in public relations and marketing working both in-house in large, complex public sector organisations and also as an independent consultant working in private and voluntary sectors.
Topics of expertise: Engagement, Market Research, Social Media, Stakeholder Relations, Public Sector PR
Contact:
Mandy@seashellcommunications.comMandy@seashellcommunications.com
Name: Sarah Pinch
Title / position: MD
Location: Mainly on a train
Biography: Sarah’ s worked in corporate communications for nearly two decades, previously working for the BBC. She’s a CIPR Past President, Chair of the Taylor Bennett Foundation, NED for the HSE and MD of Pinch Point Communications
@ms_organised
Topics of expertise: Reputation Management; Issues and Crisis Management; Diversity; Gender Pay Gap and Women in Business
Contact:
Name: Vanessa Pine
Title / position: Director, Atlas Partners
Location: London
Biography: Vanessa has worked in integrated agencies and client side at Carbon Trust and Coca-Cola. Before founding Atlas, she was a Special Adviser to the Secretary of State for Business, helping to bring in shared parental leave & gender pay gap regulations.
Topics of expertise: Starting an integrated communications agency, female entrepreneurship, gender equality, diversity and personal development.
Contact:
bethan.phillips@atlas-partners.co.uk
Name: Amanda Powell-Smith
Title / position: Chief Executive, Forster Communications
Location: London
Biography: Working at the forefront of the sustainability movement for over 20 years helping progressive organisations from all sectors to successfully combine commercial, sustainability and social change agendas and tackle complex communications challenges.
Topics of expertise: Sustainability communications, combining commercial and social agendas, cross sector partnerships and the Sustainable Development Goals
Contact:
Name: Christine Quigley
Title / position: Associate Director and Head of Transport, Newington Communications
Location: London
Biography: Christine advises clients in the transport and infrastructure sectors on public affairs strategy and campaigns. Previously she led public affairs at Rail Delivery Group and was a Labour adviser. She is chair of the CIPR’s public affairs committee.
Topics of expertise: Public affairs; strategic communications; transport policy; political communications.
Contact:
Name: Rachel Proctor
Title / position: Head of Digital, Milk & Honey PR
Location: London
Biography: Rachel is responsible for driving awareness, discoverability and preference online, across Milk & Honey PR’s client portfolio. Bringing her extensive digital marketing experience to a career in PR. Rachel was one of PRWeek’s 30 under 30, 2019.
Topics of expertise: Digital PR, online discoverability, integrated campaigns
Contact:
Name: Nicola Regazzoni
Title / position: Co-Founder, PR Network
Location: London
Biography: Nicola has worked in PR for 20+ years for b2b, corporate and b2c clients. She was an associate director at Citigate for five years before joining Brands2Life and Bite. Nicola set up The PR Network with George Blizzard in 2005 after working as a freelancer and together they have built a successful international PR agency. Nicola also sits on the UK Women in PR Committee where she co-runs the WIPR / PR Week mentoring scheme, and the PRCA UK PR Council.
Topics of expertise: Flexible Working; New Agency Models; Female Entrepreneurship; Work And Wellbeing; Growing A Business
Contact:
Name: Sarah Samee
Title / position: Head of Communications, Cifas
Location: London
Biography: Over 18 years’ strategic communications experience across public and private sector, in-house and consultancy; internal, external, stakeholder engagement and crisis communications. In my current role at Cifas, the UK’s leading fraud prevention service I oversee marketing, brand, PR, events, public affairs, digital and member engagement.
Topics of expertise: Integrated campaigns; stakeholder engagement; public sector communications; young people; mental health at work
Contact:
@sarahsamee
Name: Abbie Sampson
Title / position: Director of External Affairs, Energy UK
Location: London
Biography: A strategic communications, corporate reputation and public affairs specialist with extensive experience in the private, public and charitable sectors including at the highest level of government. Abbie has spoken at conferences and been on panels on a diverse range of topics from strategic communications to electric vehicles; consumer campaigns to analysing the general election results.
Topics of expertise: Public affairs; corporate reputation; crisis management; strategic communications; consumer and energy PR
Contact:
@abbie_sampson
Name: Jo Simmons
Title / position: Head of UK Press Office
Location: London, Kings Cross
Biography: Jo has worked in external relations for 10+ years, spanning PR and CR&S campaigns through to issues management and managing a press office. After starting her career in an agency, Jo has worked in various in-house roles for leading brand names.
Topics of expertise: PR campaigns, issues management / brand reputation, stakeholder management, budget management
Contact:
Name: Laura Sutherland
Title / position: Founder and Director
Location: Glasgow
Biography: Laura Sutherland is a Chartered PR practitioner and was awarded a Fellowship of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). She is also a member of the PRCA.
She runs PR and communication consultancy, Aura, based in Glasgow, and works across the UK and internationally. With over 18 years’ experience in integrated public relations and communication, Laura is a former Board Director of the CIPR and currently sits on its Council and Chairs the Fellows’ Forum.
Now in its fourth year, Laura founded and organises the world’s only festival dedicated to professional development and the modernisation of public relations, PRFest. A hugely passionate and collaborative practitioner, well networked and someone who gets the job done!
Topics of expertise: Public Building communities, crisis communication, team structures, adopting the PESO model, professional development
Contact:
Name: Emma Thwaites
Title / position: Founder/CEO
Location: London
Biography: Emma has nearly 30 years’ experience. She worked at the heart of Whitehall, leading the strategic comms team at Cabinet Office and was previously a BBC journalist. Emma set up her company in 2012 where specialisms include emerging technology and data
Topics of expertise: AI, data and tech in PR and PR/comms for AI, data and tech. Starting a business in your 40s, being a woman CEO/founder, politics/public affairs
Contact:
Name: Lucy Werner
Title / position: Owner
Location: London
Biography: Lucy Werner is founder of The Wern, a specialist communications consultancy and training hub for startups, entrepreneurs and independent brands. She has worked with over 100 top emerging business talents. Her first PR book is published January 2020.
Topics of expertise: Startups, entrepreneurs, small business, independent brands and freelancers.
Contact:
“Great event. Feeling super inspired by @JackiePRCooper Thanks! @WIPRUK”
Miranda Thomas, associate director, Communications Management
“Excellent @WIPRUK @WomenInPA event @NewsUK HQ. Full of insight and advice from exceptional panellists”
Kelly Baker, Associate Consultant, FleishmanHillard Fishburn
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