CIPR announces two new Chartered Public Relations Practitioners and five new Fellows
Clare Parker MCIPR and Ben Verinder MCIPR have just been announced by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) as the most recent recipients of ‘Chartered Public Relations Practitioner’ status.
‘Chartered Public Relations Practitioner’ accreditation, the gold standard of professionalism in public relations practice, was awarded to Clare and Ben after completion of a rigorous assessment of their leadership, strategy, learning and innovation in communications. Both submitted comprehensive and original pieces of work and attended successful candidate interviews, demonstrating their commitment to continuous learning and development.
Clare Parker is the Assistant Head of Training Development for the Joint Information Activities Group at Joint Force Command. Clare’s original piece of work was submitted on the design and implementation of the Defence Media and Communications Competence Framework. It highlighted how the framework has been used to build training courses and provide a formula for development of professional media and communications skills amongst military personnel.
Ben Verinder is Managing Director of Chalkstream Communications, an agency specialising in education, technology and third-sector reputation and public relations research and consultancy, based in Hertfordshire. Ben’s original piece of work was submitted on the role of psychology in public relations practice and education. His paper proposed that an understanding of the psychology underpinning attitude, belief and behaviour are so useful to the practitioner as to be indispensable and psychology in PR practice can support (and be the generator of) practical, ethical, two-way symmetrical public relations.
The Chartered Practitioner Award sets the bar for future generations of public relations leaders and is the gold standard for the CIPR and the public relations profession. This award delivers parity with other business disciplines and supports our Royal Charter obligation to promote, for the public benefit, high levels of skill, knowledge, competence, standards of practice and professional conduct. The commitment from Clare and Ben throughout the Chartered Practitioner process has been hugely appreciated and the CIPR will continue to benefit from being able to identify them as genuine role models for our evolving profession.
This announcement also accompanies news that the following CIPR Members have been awarded Fellowship of the Institute:
- Caroline Binnie FCIPR, former Chair of CIPR Scotland and Corporate Communications Manager at Falkirk Council
- Jason MacKenzie FCIPR, former Chair of CIPR Channel Islands and Managing Director at Liquid
- Paul McErlean FCIPR, Managing Director at MCE Public Relations
- Sarah Pinch FCIPR, CIPR President Elect 2014, Chair of CIPR South West and Founder of Pinch Point Communications
- John Wilkinson FCIPR, Vice Chair of CIPR Cymru Wales, and Owner and Managing Director of Wilkinson Public Relations
Fellowship is the Institute’s highest grade of membership and is awarded in recognition of an indivdual’s contributions to the CIPR and the public relations industry.
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).