Version anglaise / English Version
The international group of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, CIPR International, elected a new committee for 2024 at its AGM held on 19 September. At this meeting, Samantha Seewoosurrun, Managing Director of the PR agency Perpetual Motion, based in Mauritius, was re-elected as Chair and Taazima Kala-Essack, General Manager and Lead Consultant at Hotwire PRC in Botswana, was elected as Vice Chair and Champion for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Nishika Bajaj of Perpetual Motion was also elected as the new Secretary of the Committee and Stuart Graham of Lansons from the UK remains Treasurer.
Speaking after the AGM, Samantha Seewoosurrun, who will continue as Chair in 2024, said:
“This is a special year for CIPR as we are celebrating its 75th anniversary. It is a great privilege to have been re-elected as the Committee Chair for 2024 and I would like to congratulate all of our officers and committee members on their election. CIPR International is one of the largest sectoral groups of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, with almost 1000 members, and I am delighted to say that we are seeing an increasing number of members from overseas. We are committed to supporting our members by facilitating understanding of cultural differences, building relations with other countries, and helping members benchmark, share and learn from best practice through webinars and other activities.”
“We are also promoting the growth of chartership, as the hallmark of professional excellence in our profession. Since the CIPR is a fully virtual organisation, there are equal opportunities for PR professionals in any part of the world, including Mauritius, to attain Chartered PR practitioner status through an online chartership assessment to demonstrate their value to the market. This year CIPR has also launched on-demand training in critical areas including crisis communications, which again is well suited to professionals across the globe in different time zones.”
Taazima Kala-Essack, who will take up the role of Vice Chair and EDI Champion in 2024, commented:
“We are set for an incredible year ahead, building on the fantastic work of the 2023 committee. Of key importance is the increased strength of international reach, with greater diversity and depth of experience for 2024 across the globe, from the UK, Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and New Zealand. Our commitment to our diversity agenda now becomes even stronger a priority, and we look forward to ensuring measurable, meaningful progress in this regard as we demonstrate the true calibre of what CIPR’s members across the world can truly offer to shape better societies and contribute to the growth of the profession.”
Committee members also elected at the AGM:
Eva Maclaine, Andras Sztaniszlav, Anne Gregory, Alessandra Plichero, Emma Duke, Saad Al Rubaiaan, Margarita Kouklaki Ntourou, Omotola Akindipe, Derek Chung, Klao Bell-Lewis, Mabel Aladenusi-Adeteye, Claire Benson, Ferdinand Bondoy, Stuart Bruce, Simon Corbett, Izabela Hamilton, Richard Rose, Samuel Osei, Olayinka Elizabeth Edmond, Kate Hughes, Anjali Patil, Maria Darby-Walker, Nooralhuda Nader Aljlas, Thanzyl Thajudeen and Steven Smith.
