Joining the Board: the opportunity for communications professionals

In this episode of Engage, host Stuart Culley, an in-house communications practitioner in the construction sector and CIPR EDI Champion, sets out to understand what perimenopause and menopause mean for the people going through them, and for the colleagues, line managers and partners who support them. Joining Stuart for this discussion are:

In this episode of Engage, host Katherine Sykes Chart.PR, FCIPR, Founder and Co-Chair of the CIPR's Crisis Communications Network, makes the case for crisis communication as a board-level priority. The conversation centres on Crisis Communication for Boards, the Network's new handbook published in association with the Institute of Directors. Katherine is its editor-in-chief and lead author. The panel works through the crisis lifecycle, from horizon scanning to learning after a crisis. They then discuss AI as a core governance risk, the skills communicators need to earn their seat in the boardroom, and the material costs of getting a crisis wrong. Joining Katherine for this discussion are:

In this episode of Engage, host Miriam Brown, founder of Mulberry Brown Communications, gets under the bonnet of what makes an effective communications campaign. Miriam is joined by Sarah Key, content team lead at NHS Blood and Transplant, and Tim Ridgway, Chartered PR practitioner and strategic stakeholder engagement manager at Surrey County Council. With a focus on the public sector, they cover the fundamentals of what a campaign really is, how to secure buy-in with a data-led business case, and where to find audience insight on a limited budget. The panel also explore the planning methodologies they personally trust before closing on the importance of measurement and evaluation and the single best piece of advice they would offer to anyone planning a campaign tomorrow. Resources mentioned in this episode:

In this episode of Engage, host Abha Thakor, journalist, Chartered PR Practitioner, and CIPR Fellow, examines ageism in the public relations profession and the experiences practitioners face in the workplace. Abha is joined by Jenny Manchester, author of the 2025 CIPR-funded report "An age-old problem: What can we do to tackle ageism in PR?", and Avril Lee, CIPR Honorary Fellow, independent communications consultant and Chair of the CIPR's Diversity and Inclusion Network and the Taylor Bennett Foundation. Drawing on the findings from Jenny's research, their conversation examines how age shapes assumptions about creativity, the lack of visibility of older professionals, and the recruitment practices that ask candidates to hide their experience. The discussion also considers why the PR industry skews so much younger than the wider workforce, the intersection of ageism with gender and race, and the practical steps employers can take to build a more age-friendly workplace culture. Resources mentioned in this episode:

In this episode of Engage, host Steve Bryant, Co-Chair of the CIPR Podcast Editorial Board, interviews speakers and attendees from the CIPR's 2025 Annual Conference - Leadership and Impact. Recorded backstage at the conference itself, the episode brings the substance of the day's mainstage sessions to listeners who couldn't be in the room, with each speaker reflecting on the insights they shared, the challenges they put to the audience, and how their thinking applies to the day-to-day realities of modern communications leadership. Featuring interviews with: