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Ten PR and Communications Industry Leaders Set to Speak at the World PR Day Fireside Chats on July 15 and 18

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Ten notable PR and communications professionals from across the world have been confirmed to speak at the World PR Day Fireside Chats on Twitter Spaces on Friday, July 15, 2022 and Monday, July 18, 2022 as part of the annual celebrations.

Themed “Trust, Truth and Transparency”, the second edition presents another opportunity for professionals to put forward a unified global agenda and propel each other to answer a call of duty, help stakeholders to communicate more responsibly and be more deliberate about using public relations to build, innovate and develop.

“The Fireside Chats give us an opportunity to hear from revered professionals across the globe on the need for practitioners to help people, companies and governments communicate more honestly and responsibly,” Convener, World PR Day, Ayeni Adekunle says.

Amongst the speakers are leaders of global PR associations, agencies, media and companies:

Alastair McCapra, Chief Executive, Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)

Alastair McCapra, who has been Chief Executive of the CIPR since 2013 after working for several other professional membership associations, will join the fireside chat as a speaker. Alastair is renowned for introducing corporate affiliate membership, a new chartership assessment process taking the CIPR virtual in 2020. Nearly tripling the number of members who complete CPD each year is the achievement he rates as his most important.





Emma Wenani Chief Director, GMA Worldwide


Emma Wenani is a Communications Professional (Public Relations, Digital Marketing, Project Management and Events Management) with over 10 years of experience working in different capacities at senior management level in mainly consulting and media firms. Confirmed as the moderator of the fireside chat; Emma currently oversees the Communication Units for Global Media Alliance Group as its Chief Director leading her teams in providing strategic and objective advisory services to the clients they work with. The team currently works with and services clients in the telecommunication, banking, agriculture, non-governmental, nutrition, government, technology industries among others.

 

 

 

Francis Ingham, Director General of the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA)

Francis Ingham: For the past 15 years, Francis Ingham has been Director General of the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), operating out of London, Singapore, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires and Dubai. Since 2013, he has also held the position of Chief Executive of the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO). Representing over 35,000 practitioners, PRCA is the largest PR professional body in the world. ICCO is the global voice of public relations associations and its membership comprises 41 national trade associations, collectively representing over 3,000 PR firms.

 

 

 

 

Jacob Puthenparambil_Founder & CEO, Redhill

Jacob Puthenparambil is a communications expert, opinion leader, author, serial entrepreneur, and business leader with over two decades of global experience. Jacob is also the founder and CEO of Redhill, a global communications agency. Headquartered in Singapore and with a presence in eighteen countries and twenty-one cities, Jacob oversees a team of more than 150 talent across Singapore, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, Thailand, India, Greater China, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and Cambodia, along with growing teams in the Middle East, Europe, and the US.

 

 

 

Nitin Mantri, President, International Communications Consultancy Organization (ICCO)

Nitin Mantri is a dynamic leader in the world of communications. He’s the Group CEO of Avian WE and the President of International Communications Consultancy Organization (ICCO). He is also a member of the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA)’s Global Advisory Board and Co-Chair of PRCA Asia Pacific and PRCA Ethics Council. He was the President of the Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI) for five years – from 2015 to 2020.

 

 

 

 

Obabiyi Fagade, Marketing Manager Heineken, Africa, Middle East and Eastern Europe

Obabiyi Fagade is the Trade Marketing Manager for the Africa Middle East and Eastern Europe region at Heineken. In this role, he is responsible for identifying and unlocking growth opportunities, developing commercial toolkits for brand building and ensuring alignment and consistency of local brand initiatives with its global strategy. He has developed various global Heineken campaigns, especially for the brand’s biggest football sponsorship platform – The UEFA Champions league.
An experienced and award-winning marketing professional, Obabiyi is skilled in the development of digital communication and individualised data-driven marketing (iDDM). He is particularly skilled and experienced in Marketing Management, Innovation Management, Integrated Marketing Communication, Advertising, and Brand Activation.

 

 

Rachel Roberts, President of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)

Rachel Roberts is the Founder and CEO of an award winning UK PR practice, spottydog communications. She is also currently serving as the President of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and is a CIPR Chartered Practitioner. Rachel has worked as a communications consultant for over 20 years operating in-house for British Telecom and charity Cancer Research UK, and within the consultancy sector at Jackie Cooper PR (now part of Edelman) and Harrison Cowley (now part of Grayling).
In 2010, Rachel founded spottydog communications as an independent consultancy in Birmingham, UK and has organically grown the business to create the 20-strong team that now exists, picking up over 30 industry awards along the way, including in 2019 the accolade of PRCA’s DARE Awards Industry Leader of the Year.

 

Steve Barrett, Editorial Director, PRWeek

Steve Barrett: As the VP and Editorial Director, of PRWeek & Campaign US, Steve oversees content operations across Haymarket Media’s flagship business titles – PRWeek and Campaign US. In 2021, he received the Timothy White Award, named after the longtime editor of Billboard Magazine, which is given out annually by the Jesse H. Neal Awards to an editor whose work displays courage, integrity and passion. PRWeek is the premier global media business brand for the communications and PR industries, publishing online and in print.

 

 

Sylvester Chauke, Chief Architect – DNA Brand Architects

Sylvester Chauke: CNBC Africa Young Business Leader of the Year 2017, Sylvester is a multi-ward winning entrepreneur and founder of Adweek’s Top 100 Fastest Growing Agency in the world 2020, DNA Brand Architects.
After a lustrous career as the National Marketing Manager for Nando’s South Africa, Sylvester joined broadcasting giant, MTV Networks Afric,a as its Director of Marketing and Communication before establishing DNA Brand Architects; working with some of the most revered global brands on the African continent.
Besides running South Africa’s Large PR Agency of the Year 2021, Sylvester Chauke is one of the 22 young leaders from around the world sitting as the Advisory Council for the World Economic Forum Global Shapers and was selected to join the Harambe Entrepreneurs Alliance in 2018.





Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, President, African Public Relations Association (APRA) and Group Managing Director, CMC Connect (Perception Managers)

Yomi Badejo-Okusanya is the Group Managing Director, CMC Connect (Perception Managers) with over 30 years to his credit. He started his career in 1988 and he later founded CMC Connect Limited in 1992.
He is is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) where he was past Chairman of the Lagos State Chapter. He also sits on the boards of several blue-chip companies in Nigeria.
As part of his continued efforts at mainstreaming Africa into global public relations practice, Yomi has served as a Board Member of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA). His love for Africa is evident in his selfless service to the African Public Relations Association (APRA) where he served as a two-term Secretary-General and is the current President. He was recently appointed as West Africa Chair for the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA).

 

 

Details on how to participate in the 2022 World PR Day celebrations are available on the World PR Day website – wprd.app/world-pr-day-2022.

World PR Day: Millions Around the World to Celebrate Public Relations on July 16

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Release by BHM, UK

Date – 1st July, 2022

Millions of Public Relations practitioners across the globe are set to celebrate the second edition of the annual World PR Day held on July 16, 2022.

Launched in 2021 to forge a global agenda of enlightening the world about the nobility and misconceptions around PR, World PR Day witnessed participation from thousands of practitioners, organisations, and public observers.

Set aside as a day dedicated to truth, honesty and reputation management in a way that is beneficial to all people across the globe, July 16 also honours Ivy Lee, one of the pioneers of Public Relations practice who was born on the same date 145 years ago.

The second World PR Day will further advance conversations on the topical understanding and outlook of the practice. It will extensively spotlight the strengths, limitations, and potential of the profession, as well as the utilisation of new tools and trends, value propositions, and funding.

BHM Founder and CEO, Ayeni Adekunle, said, “We decided to begin to have tough, largely ignored conversations about PR last year, and we want to show once again how the practice has deeper connotations to how our world functions than it gets credit for.

“It is in our collective interests for the world to continue to understand the role of PR in shaping and inspiring not only businesses or governance across the globe but critical human actions that can make or mar generations to come.”

As part of a three-pronged activity, the 2022 World PR Day will feature #MyPRStory – an inclusive new media activity where every PR professional will be encouraged to share one unforgettable memory from their journey in the PR industry. The stories will help to show the world the many facets of PR practice and how they impact society.

The event will also feature the PR Bible – a crowdsourced repository of PR resources from PR pros across the world.

A Fireside Chat on Twitter Spaces featuring top PR executives across the world to drive conversations and answer questions on trust, truth, and transparency will make up the third frame of the day’s activities.

Alastair McCapra, Chief Executive, Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR); Francis Ingham, Director General of the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA); Nitin Mantri, President, International Communications Consultancy Organization (ICCO); Rachel Roberts President, Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR); Sylvester Chauke, Chief Architect – DNA Brand Architects; Steve Barrett, Editorial Director, PRWeek and Emma Wenani Chief Director, GMA Worldwide, have been confirmed to speak at the event.

PR practitioners and enthusiasts across the globe are encouraged to actively participate in the celebration by hosting formal events, global recognitions, seminars, debates, or workshops and; reading up and learning about PR through CIPR, PRSA or PRCA publications.

Stephen Waddington, a WPRD Committee Advisor and the Managing Partner, Wadds Inc., a professional advisory firm said, “We urge practitioners to drive social conversations by sharing their thoughts about the value, opportunity, relevance, and future of the PR profession on social media or publish blog posts and opinion editorials on their LinkedIn page or company websites.

“Participants can add to the conversations by sharing videos of their PR experience on YouTube or Instagram tagging @wordprday or using the hashtag #WPRD.”

In the first-ever World PR Day celebration, BHM successfully propelled conversations around the world to extol the merit of PR practice. Conversations in the edition centred around the rise of digital communications over the years, the reductive view of PR’s scope of functions, and the common failure of organisations to attribute the results of PR activities to their top line.

BHM also drives the Global Day of Influence – an annual event launched in 2020 to raise awareness about the need to stop the abuse of influence.

The events are part of the international PR firm’s general commitment to continually propagate the appreciation of PR and its impact on the world.

You can learn more about World PR Day here.

 

BHM annual PR report expanded to now cover the entire African continent

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BHM Research & Intelligence has announced that starting this year, its annual report on the public relations and communications sector in Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, will be expanded to cover the whole continent, adding 53 more countries with a combined economy of over $ 2 trillion and a population of over 1 billion.

This will be the first-ever report that will cater exclusively to the PR and communications industry within the African continent.

The Africa PR and Communications report is being compiled in partnership with the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR UK), CIPR International, International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO), Africa Communications Week (ACW), Wadds Incorporated, ID Africa, Plaqad Incorporated, and Magna Carta Reputation Management Consultants. Other partners are to be announced.

BHM Founder Ayeni Adekunle commented:

“Since we launched the Nigeria PR Report on January 29, 2016, we have witnessed the growth of the industry at home and abroad. Five years after, we are pleased to confirm we are now expanding our research to cover a continent that holds plenty of promise for the global communications sector. We hope the Africa PR and Communications report will quickly become the authoritative voice in the industry, providing insights, data, and useful information for those working here, as well as everyone outside looking in.’’

With 54 countries and an expected GDP of $5.6 trillion in four years, the continent is home to six of the top ten fastest-growing economies in the world. Africa accounts for around 17% of the world’s population, but only about 3% of global GDP.

If Africa sustains and accelerates structural reforms, some believe the continent can emulate China’s rapid rise over the last 50 years. It will, after all, have 24 million more people, on average, living in its cities each year between 2015 and 2045, according to the World Economic Forum.

The COVID-19 pandemic has, of course, taken a heavy toll, but the recovery is afoot.

The implementation of the ​​African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is further proof of the continent’s plans for the future, as it has the potential to create a continental free-trade zone with a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of USD 3.4 trillion, according to the African Union (AU).

These advances are also being reflected in the continent’s burgeoning PR & Communication landscape – the industry best equipped to help fix the continent’s reputational issues.

The 2022 Africa Report will contain verified facts and statistics on the Public Relations industry, analysis that can guide governments and multinationals, resources and recommendations that assist practitioners in building better careers and business models, designed to enhance and deliver value to all stakeholders.

Ayeni adds:

“The past 28 months have been volatile for the world. It invariably highlighted our strengths and weaknesses as a continent. And the PR & communications industry was one of the first points of call in advising government and business leaders on wading through the times and supporting initiatives across the continent.
“Yet, this only showed a glimpse of the potential of the PR & communications industry. Because beyond health and financial crisis, as an industry, there is a dire need for professionals to be embedded in every area of policymaking, advisory, and management. It is important that the industry understands the almost impossibly heavy sense of duty it has to the continent and the people.
However, we cannot do any of these without data-driven insights that will enable us to give the proper advisory required. By modelling well-founded world reports such as the Holmes Report, World Development Report, Relevance Report, Edelman Trust Barometer, and others, we are hoping to create a standard global report that can easily be used for referencing details, instances and facts about the industry.”

Moliehi Molekoa, a member of the APCR board and the Managing Director of Magna Carta, a pan-African reputation management consultancy, says:

“PR professionals, now more than ever, have an increased duty to advise clients based on sound data and experience. APCR will be one of the key sources of that data. We are filling a void within the industry, and this report will better equip us as professionals as well as the businesses about the African PR landscape. It will provide valuable insights on how to build, manage and protect reputations with the overall aim of elevating the role the industry plays in brand building.”

According to the Economist, It is expected that Africa’s total population would reach nearly 2.5 billion by 2050. The continent will also be home to the world’s largest under-25 workforce, which will open the door to immense opportunities for growth and development.

BHM Group, through this seminal industry-wide report, therefore, seeks to foster an in-depth understanding of the world’s business, tech, commercial and communications landscapes, among others. It will tell Africa’s story by Africans, for Africa and for anyone else hoping to gain a deeper understanding and foothold on the continent and the immense opportunities it offers.