CIPR Members' vote signals new era for the Institute at Annual General Meeting
At this evening’s CIPR AGM hosted at Manchester Metropolitan University, CIPR Members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of supporting new governance changes, which will have a fundamental impact on the structure of the Institute and signal a new era in the drive towards professionalism in public relations.
Alongside regular business, Members were asked to vote on two special resolutions that:
- seek the approval of the Privy Council to amend the Institute’s Charter and By-Laws – passed with 107 votes in favour, 7 votes against, and no abstentions
- amended the Regulations – passed with 99 votes in favour, 14 votes against, and no abstentions
The special resolutions will create a streamlined, businesslike governance structure, reduce CIPR Council in size from 50 to 30 individuals, and create a Board of Directors with power to direct the affairs of the Institute. It will also embed the professionalism agenda at the heart of CIPR governance, requiring:
- Council and Board members to maintain CIPR Continuing Professional Development (CPD) records
- Board members to hold the Accredited or Chartered Public Relations Practitioner designation.
This is a significant milestone for the CIPR in the march to professionalism in public relations. It is important that the proposed changes were well received by members. They will deliver a Chartered Institute that is able to respond more effectively to members’ needs, is more active, more relevant, and exercises more effective leadership of the public relations profession. It’s the culmination of six months’ hard work and a two-month member consultation led by chief executive Alastair McCapra, the CIPR team, and Council.
These reforms are vital in overhauling some of our ways of working which have held us back in making decisions as rapidly and effectively as we need to. They will bring us into line with the best practice among professional bodies across a broad range of disciplines and are necessary for the CIPR to operate as it needs to and provide effective leadership for the profession. We will now seek approval for these changes from the Privy Council, which I expect to be a formality in light of Members’ overwhelming support for this new structure.
Alongside the business of the AGM, several annual prizes were awarded.
The 2014 Sir Stephen Tallents Medal was awarded by the CIPR President to Sarah Hall FCIPR for:
- eight years’ service on the CIPR Council and six years’ service on the Board
- a decade-long involvement with the CIPR North East group
- her commitment to support best practice as a CIPR member, both personally, and in the teams that she has led.
Jeremy Dickey, a CIPR Student Member, was announced as the inaugural winner of the CIPR International Douglas Smith Student Award 2014, receiving a £1,000 prize.
The Award invited students to submit a campaign either for, or against, the introduction of genetically modified rice in an area of the world with less than ideal rainfall.
Runner-up for the Award was announced as Ewan Sanderson, and Kelly Phelps was Highly Commended.
Notes to editors
About the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)Founded in 1948, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is the Royal Chartered professional body for public relations practitioners in the UK and overseas. The CIPR is the largest membership organisation for PR practitioners outside of North America. By size of turnover and number of individually registered members, we are the leading representative body for the PR profession and industry in Europe.
The CIPR advances professionalism in public relations by making its members accountable to their employers and the public through a code of conduct and searchable public register, setting standards through training, qualifications, awards and the production of best practice and skills guidance, facilitating Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and awarding Chartered Public Relations Practitioner status (Chart.PR).