Hosted by Katherine Sykes Chart.PR, FCIPR, Co-Chair of the CIPR Crisis Communications Network – Crisis Communications for Boards – features Dr Jon White Chart.PR, Hon FCIPR, a researcher and consultant in public relations and corporate communication management, and Kerry Knight Chart.PR, a senior strategic communicator specialising in crisis preparedness, reputation management and AI governance.

The episode draws on the handbook of the same name, published by the CIPR Crisis Communication Network in partnership with the Institute of Directors.

The panel discuss how interconnected risks have turned crises from isolated events into fast-moving, highly visible shocks that can escalate within hours. They set out the handbook's five-stage crisis cycle of predict, protect, prepare, respond and recover, and make the case for investing in preparedness before a crisis hits through scenario planning and horizon scanning. The discussion also covers how public inquiries and the duty of candour can give a crisis a long tail after organisations believe it is over.

For PR professionals, the episode makes the case for framing advice in terms of consequences, business outcomes and organisational resilience, and for learning the language of the boardroom. It argues that crisis response cannot save bad decision-making, and that communicators add most value when boards bring them in to the spaces decisions are made.

• Listen to the episode on Apple and Spotify
• Download the handbook, ‘Crisis Communications for Boards’
• Learn more about the CIPR Crisis Communications Network 
   

Two candidates are standing for election as the CIPR's 2027 President-Elect:

• David Hamilton Chart.PR, FCIPR - Executive Director of Engagement, Marketing and Communications at the British Film Institute (BFI)
• Anne-Marie Lacey Chart.PR, FCIPR - Degree Programme Director and Senior Lecturer at Newcastle University

The successful candidate will serve as President-Elect in 2027 before becoming CIPR President in 2028 and Past-President in 2029. Candidate statements are available to read on the CIPR's website, and a virtual hustings will take place on 15 September from 12:00-13:00 BST where members can pose questions to David and Anne-Marie.

Five candidates are standing for two seats on the Institute's Board of Directors, for a term running from January 2027 to December 2029:

• Hajira Amla Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Adam Barrett MCIPR
• Paul Compton Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Aimee Postle Chart.PR, Dip CIPR
• Naomi MG Smith Chart.PR, FCIPR

Voting in both contested elections opens on 16 September 2026 and closes on 28 September 2026, with results expected on 1 October. Eligible CIPR members will receive voting instructions by email from Mi-Voice, the Institute's electoral services provider.

Eleven candidates stood for election to the CIPR Council. With fewer candidates than available seats, all eleven have been elected unopposed and will serve a term running from January 2027 to December 2028:

• Bridget Aherne Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Peter Campbell Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Catherine Condie Chart.PR, FCIPR
• Shaun Gibbons Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Andrew Hesselden MCIPR
• Lisa James Chart.PR, MCIPR
• John Mayne Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Paula McNulty Chart.PR, FCIPR
• Lorna Muir MCIPR
• Samantha Seewoosurrun Chart.PR, FCIPR
• Samantha Wilding Chart.PR, MCIPR

• Register for the virtual hustings on September 15, 12:00-13:00BST.
• Read the candidate's statements.

The nomination period for all three bodies runs from Wednesday 29 April to Friday 22 May 2026, closing at 17:00 BST. Elections will take place in September 2026, with all terms beginning on 1 January 2027.

President-Elect 2027

The President-Elect serves as first deputy to the President, beginning a three-year term in January 2027: one year as President-Elect, one as President, and one as Vice President.

The President is the most visible leadership role in the Institute, representing the CIPR to government, media, and the wider industry.

Board of Directors

Board members serve a three-year term commencing January 2027 and hold legal responsibility for the governance of the Institute. The role offers substantial non-executive governance experience, with exposure to financial oversight, risk, and long-term strategy, and is a valuable route into wider trustee and director positions.

The Institute’s latest skills assessment identified a need for experience in governance, equity, diversity and inclusion, and digital or cyber security. To stand for election, candidates do not need to be CIPR members, or to have prior experience as a director or trustee.

Council

The Council advises the Board on the Institute's strategic direction. Those elected will serve a two-year term, from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2028.

Serving on Council gives members direct input into policy, professional standards, and strategy, alongside a peer network that spans sectors and career stages. Council meets four times per year for three-hour sessions, with a mix of in-person and online meetings.

• Learn more about CIPR elections
• Find out more about serving as President, a Board Director, or on Council

Susan takes over from Ruth Matthews who is retiring after more than 11 years in the role and is responsible for maintaining standards across the different CIPR qualifications delivered in the UK and overseas by CIPR Accredited Teaching Centres (ATCs). The Chair of Examiners has a strategic advisory role to ensure that CIPR Awarding Body assessment processes and course regulations are fit for purpose including responsibility for developing assessment processes, course regulation and policy to ensure alignment with best practice in the area of Awarding Body services.

Susan is Deputy Vice-Principal (Science, Engineering and Business) at the University of Dundee and a Chartered Practitioner and Fellow of the CIPR. Her recruitment is for an initial three-year term and her tenure will begin in June 2026.

Three candidates are standing for election as the CIPR's 2026 President-Elect:

• Dan Gerrella
• Graham Goodkind
• Aileen Thompson

The successful candidate will serve as President-Elect in 2026 before taking on the role of CIPR President in 2027. Voting opens today, Friday 3 October and closes on Friday 17 October at 17:00. All eligible CIPR members will receive voting instructions via email from Mi-Voice, the Institute’s electoral services provider.

Elections for the CIPR Board’s 2026-2028 term have also concluded, where 14 candidates stood for three vacancies. The 25 members of the CIPR Council were eligible to vote, with the count conducted using the Single Transferable Vote, as stipulated in the regulations.

The following were duly elected and will serve as Board Members from 2026-2028:

• Noha Al Afifi
• Alex Malouf
• Jennifer Robson

• Hustings took place on Thursday 2nd October via Zoom. Log in to watch the recording.
• Read the candidate statements.

The Venice Pledge – developed by the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management - was co-signed by the Institute and more than 20 other public relations bodies. Ratified by the Alliance’s Board of Directors, the Pledge updates its Responsible AI Guiding Principles. 

The seven Responsible AI Guiding Principles provide a shared framework for the ethical, transparent, and human-centred application of AI in public relations. The Principles emphasise that AI should support, not replace, human judgment and creativity whilst ensuring accountability, fairness, and accuracy in professional practice.

The Principles cover:

• Ethics First
• Human-Led Governance
• Personal and Organisational Responsibility
• Awareness, Openness, and Transparency
• Education and Professional Development
• Active Global Voice
• Human-Centred AI for the Common Good

The three-part series, developed by the CIPR’s ESG Panel, has been extensively revised to incorporate the latest understanding of new regulatory frameworks, emerging trends, and evolving best practice in the field. The new versions examine AI’s role in ESG reporting, the concept of a ‘just transition’, and more recent developments such as the UK’s new Procurement Act and its implications on the importance of social value in government contracts. 

The guides remain freely available to download for both CIPR members and non-members and continue to serve as an essential resource for PR practitioners and organisations looking to build, update, or evaluate their ESG communications strategies. 

• Download the series of ESG guides 
• Each guide is worth five CIPR CPD points
• Find out more about the CIPR ESG Panel
• Register for the ESG Panel's upcoming event - 'What's the Future Impact of Technology on Sustainability'

• Hajira Amla
• Mike Browne
• Tanya Burak
• John Clegg
• Paul Compton
• Catherine Condie
• Jonathan Cross
• Karen Floyd
• Sasha Fuller
• Ruth Jackson
• Binu Jacob
• Paula McNulty
• Kirsty Peebles
• Christine Richardson
• Stephen Salifu
• Samantha Seewoosurrun
• Suzanne Steele
• Nicki Sturzaker
• Gary Taylor
• Alexander Walster
• Caroline Wood
• Justine Wrightson

• CIPR Council elections opened from January 22 and closed on February 5. A total of 467 eligible members voted.

The review aims to align the Institute’s governance structures with its strategic ambitions and ensure the CIPR is sustainable for the future. It is the first time in a decade the PR body has consulted its members on its governance as it looks to modernise its Board and Council and enhance transparency, diversity, and inclusion by attracting a wider range of voices and experiences into its elected positions. The proposed changes to the CIPR’s governance will take place across four key areas:  

• Board of Directors  
• Nominations Committee  
• The President’s Role
• Council  

As part of the review, the CIPR has launched a governance consultation survey, seeking to make its members' voices and views heard across the four proposed areas of change.

• Find out more about the governance consultation.  
• Take part in the governance consultation survey by Thursday 29 February.  
• See the Q&A video below to understand more.

These guides – created by the CIPR’s ESG Panel - focus on each area of ESG and how they relate to organisations and public relations professionals. They include: 

• The ‘E’ in ESG
• The ‘S’ in ESG
• The ‘G’ in ESG

Covering a range of topics, the guides are available to download for free. Readers will learn about the benefits of robust environmental practices in enhancing business resilience and sustainability, how organisations can evaluate whether their social commitments are being effectively defined and embedded into their leadership and culture, and the importance of effective governance in delivering on ESG commitments. 

Readers are encouraged to use these guides as a comprehensive toolkit. They will assist in building, updating, or evaluating organisations’ ESG strategies and serve as a resource for best practice in showcasing and communicating positive environmental and social impacts. 

The guides have been written by the CIPR’s ESG Panel members, Hilary Berg, Suzy Giles, Gihan Hyde, Sneha Patel, Anjali Patil, Laura Sutherland,  and Chris Tucker.

• Download the CIPR's ESG Panel series of guides.
• Each guide is worth five CIPR CPD points.
• Find out more about our ESG Panel.

Find out more about the CIPR’s ESG Panel online.  

Hosted by Kate Ferguson, Head of Responsible Business at Irwin Mitchell, the episode features insightful commentary on the growing importance of responsible business, an area high on the PR profession’s priorities. Listeners will hear expert advice on how to credibly support their clients and organisations when creating and communicating their ESG strategy.   

Joining host Kate Fergusson are;   

• Gihan Hyde, Founder founder and CEO, CommUnique  
• Ivano Iannelli, CEO, the Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence  
• Alex Malouf, Executive Director, Corporate Communications and Public Relations, Ceer

• Listen to the Engage Podcast on Apple, Google or Spotify
• Book one of our ESG related training courses and watch our webinar, ‘The rise of ESG Communication’ to develop your knowledge 
• Discover more on the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board 
• More information on The Green Digital Finance Alliance.