CIPR International (Chartered Institute of Public Relations) has elected a new committee at its AGM held on 29 October. Taazima Kala was elected as Chair, with Saad Al Rubaiaan as Vice Chair. Nishika Bajaj was re-elected as Secretary, and Stuart Graham continues as Treasurer. The role of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Champion has been expanded to include two individuals, Anjali Patil and Nooralhuda Nader Aljlas, further enriching the committee's diversity.Taazima Kala, the newly elected Chair for 2025, said: ?Ç£It is a great privilege to be elected as Chair of the CIPR International Committee for 2025. My heartfelt congratulations go to our newly elected officers and committee members, and my sincere gratitude to our outgoing Chair, Samantha Seewoosurrun, for her outstanding leadership over the past three years. As one of the largest sectoral groups within CIPR, with over 1,000 members as of 2023, CIPR International continues to expand globally, adding invaluable diversity, passion, and expertise to our community. We remain dedicated to supporting our members by fostering cultural understanding, building international connections, and promoting knowledge sharing through initiatives like webinars. Notably, the recent introduction of a monthly card payment option for overseas members?Çöa key milestone championed by Samantha?Çömakes CIPR membership more accessible than ever. I look forward to an impactful year ahead as we continue to grow and support our global network."Outgoing Chair Samantha Seewoosurrun, who has led the committee from 2022 to 2024, reflected on her term:?Ç£It has been a tremendous honour to serve as Chair of the CIPR International Committee over the past three years. Reflecting on my tenure, I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together, from expanding our global reach to enhancing our support for members across continents. I am grateful to our dedicated committee members whose passion and commitment have been the driving force behind our progress. I warmly thank all of our committee members for their time, ideas, energy, and dedication over the past year, as well as for their personal support throughout my term. I would like to congratulate Taazima, Saad and Nishika on their election, as an outstanding team of international PR professionals bringing a range of perspectives from Africa, the Middle East and India, who will surely lead our committee from strength to strength in the future."Newly elected Vice Chair Saad Al Rubaiaan also expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming year, commenting: "I am honoured to step into the role of Vice Chair for the CIPR International Committee and look forward to a transformative year ahead. Building on the solid foundation laid by our predecessors, we will work tirelessly to foster deeper connections within our global community. Our focus will be on amplifying the voices and contributions of our diverse membership, delivering tangible value through increased engagement and knowledge-sharing opportunities, and advancing the role of PR on the international stage. I am particularly excited about the election of our two EDI Champions, which underscores our unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at the international level."CIPR International is one of the largest sectoral groups of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations the world's only Royal Chartered professional body for public relations practitioners, with nearly 11,000 members. The International Committee is united in its mission to make a positive impact on the industry and to expand the global reach of PR and supporting members by fostering cultural understanding, building international relationships, and providing platforms for benchmarking and learning from best practices. The 2025 CIPR International Committee comprises:?Çó Chair: Taazima Kala?Çó Vice Chair: Saad Al Rubaiaan?Çó Secretary: Nishika Bajaj?Çó Treasurer: Stuart Graham?Çó EDI Champions: Anjali Patil and Nooralhuda Nader Aljlas?Çó Committee Members: Samantha Seewoosurrun, Eva Maclaine, Andras Sztaniszlav, Anne Gregory, Omotola Akindipe, Alessandra Pilchero, Samuel Osei, Steven Smith, Klao Bell-Lewis, Claire Benson, Ferdinand Bondoy, Stuart Bruce, Olayinka Elizabeth Edmond, Thanzyl Thajudeen, Jared Meade, Oluwayemisi Adekunle, and Gavrielle Kirk-Cohen.

The Taylor Bennett Foundation, dedicated to promoting diversity within the communications industry, has appointed Koray Camg??z, formerly of Ketchum, as its new CEO.Camg??z steps into this leadership role during a time of growth and expansion for the 15-year-old foundation.Before joining the foundation, Camg??z served as a director at Ketchum for the past year and was previously the Director of Communications and Marketing at the PRCA. He also held various positions at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), most recently as the organization?ÇÖs PR Manager.He succeeds Melissa Lawrence, who led the foundation for over four years before stepping down in 2023.?Ç£I am so delighted that after a strong competitive process, supported by Perrett Laver, we have found such an exceptional candidate,?Ç¥ said Sarah Pinch, Chair of the Foundation. ?Ç£Koray?ÇÖs commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion is writ large, and those in the industry who know him have seen that passion in action. His roles at the CIPR, PRCA, and latterly at Ketchum have all had ED&I at their heart.?Ç¥Jo-ann Robertson, Ketchum?ÇÖs CEO of Global Markets, commented on Camg??z?ÇÖs departure: ?Ç£Koray joined Ketchum UK in 2023 and has made significant contributions to the business. His leadership in working with technology clients and his dedication to delivering creative campaigns focused on diversity and inclusion have been instrumental to our success. His active role in Ketchum?ÇÖs Inclusion Council has provided a vital inclusive lens to our workforce practices and initiatives.?Ç£We thank Koray for his exceptional efforts and are delighted for him to take on this new role that aligns with his experience and values. We look forward to continuing our partnership with him and the Taylor Bennett Foundation and wish him all the best in driving progress as he enters this exciting new chapter,?Ç¥ she said.

Rob Morbin, the executive director of the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO), is departing after a six-year tenure with the global PR organisation.Morbin joined ICCO in 2018 from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and has played a pivotal role in the organization?ÇÖs growth. He initially served as deputy chief executive under the late CEO Francis Ingham and assumed the role of executive director in May 2023. During his time at ICCO, Morbin also contributed to the senior management team of the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA).Under Morbin's leadership, ICCO has expanded its presence in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, enhancing its services, products, events, and competitions, such as the annual World PR Report. The organization, representing PR associations and agencies across 70 countries, has also elevated the profile of PR at Cannes Lions through collaborations with PRovoke Media and WorldCom, and provided its members with platforms at the Council of Europe and the United Nations through its partnership with the UN Development Programme.Grzegorz Szepanski, ICCO president and CEO of Burson Poland, expressed gratitude, saying: ?Ç£I would like to give a heartfelt thanks to Rob for his transformational impact on ICCO over the past six years. He has risen to unprecedented challenges, driven new initiatives, and opened up exciting opportunities for members around the world. We wish him every success in his next venture.?Ç¥The current leadership team at ICCO includes interim CEO Andras Sztaniszlav, a partner at the Hungarian strategic communications agency PersonaR, who joined at the beginning of this year. Additionally, former ICCO and PRCA membership director Steve Miller has recently left both organizations to return to CIPR.

Steve Miller, who recently stepped down as commercial director at the PRCA, is rejoining the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) after a 14-year-long hiatus. In his new role, Miller will concentrate on growing the CIPR's corporate membership base.Miller previously held a similar membership and commercial leadership position at both the PRCA and the ICCO (International Communications Consultancy Organisation). In his newly created role as corporate affiliate consultant, he will target increasing the number of UK PR agencies affiliated with the CIPR.This homecoming marks a return to familiar territory for Miller, who previously dedicated a decade to the CIPR before joining the PRCA in 2010.The CIPR boasts nearly 11,000 individual members alongside a strong corporate membership of 250. This includes agencies like Weber Shandwick (which left the PRCA in 2023), BlackHouse Media, Hard Numbers, Curzon and Jargon, alongside in-house communications teams from Barclays, Balfour Beattie, Centrica, Deloitte, and IKEA. The PRCA currently maintains a corporate membership of around 570.

There has been in increase in diagnosis of mental health conditions in the PR industry, according to new research carried out by the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR).The research ?Çô conducted by Opinium ?Çô revealed that on average, 91% reported poor mental health in the last 12 months. Meanwhile, the proportion of PR professionals that have been diagnosed with a mental health condition has risen from one in four (25%) to a third (33%).The number of PR professionals who find their jobs stressful has stayed consistent year after year. In fact, three out of ten (29%) continue to rate their stress levels within the range of 8-10 (with 10 being extremely stressful). This figure has remained stable since it first rose from 26% in 2021.As in past years, PR professionals continue to have a higher risk of poor mental health than the general UK workforce. In the last year, 63% of UK workers report having poor mental health.Before the pandemic around 70% of UK PR professionals worked from an office all the time. This is now down to 9%. Professionals largely agree that working from home has positive aspects, with 81% appreciating a better work-life balance and 78% finding the lack of commute good for mental health.Other key findings:  An average wellbeing score of 45.3, indicating a slight decrease from the previous year.  60% of respondents have told someone at work that they have struggled with their mental wellbeing, up from 51% last year.  59% said that having too much work to do is the biggest barrier for taking time off to deal with mental health.  58% cited an overwhelming workload as a key source of workplace stress.  60% reported that having too much work is the biggest barrier to taking time off for mental health reasons.PRCA CEO, James Hewes, said: "Amidst the rapid evolution of the PR industry, we must refuse to normalise stress as an inherent part of our culture. The past five years have brought significant change, with more on the horizon. As we navigate the shift to hybrid work environments, it's urgent to grasp the implications for our workflows and communication dynamics. A constant barrage of updates can hinder focus, and an 'always-on' mentality isn't sustainable. It's time for leaders to amplify the conversation on mental health. While progress has been made in acknowledging and addressing mental health challenges, lip service alone won't suffice. We must ensure our actions match our words. By prioritising wellbeing, we pave the way for a healthier, more resilient workforce, benefiting both our businesses and our people."CIPR CEO, Alastair McCapra, said: ?Ç£I am immensely proud of this partnership and the publication of this year's mental health audit. The findings shed light on the progress we've made and the challenges that still lie ahead. Notably, the data reveals an issue that is both unacceptable and unsustainable, with workload stress remaining the primary culprit.The report marks another pivotal moment in our journey toward creating a healthier, more supportive future for our industry. I encourage our respective members and the wider profession to carefully consider these insights and share them with your teams. By working together and taking decisive action, we can drive meaningful change and build a resilient, future-ready, and thriving PR profession.?Ç¥