Speakers

AbdelHalim AbdAllah

Strategic Communications Consultant,

Alex Aiken

Executive Director for Government Communication, UK Government

Sarah Alspach

Chief Communications Officer, bluebird bio

Rezani Aziz

Chief Executive Officer, Adfactors PR

Rezani Aziz’s career in Public Relations spans over two decades. She is the founding Chief Executive Officer of Adfactors Public Relations Lanka, having started the practice for the parent company in 2014, which now is Sri Lanka’s leading PR consultancy. She has expanded the offering to the region, working closely with Adfactors PR’s leadership to further build the network in South Asia.

Adfactors PR Lanka, under her leadership, has been recognized as a leading and respected brand in the PR industry, managing a portfolio of the Country’s largest diversified conglomerates. The firm has built expertise in managing reputation and image for clients amidst chaos and uncertainty, particularly in export and trade related industries. Their Public Affairs practice works closely with Sri Lanka’s largest exporters in apparel, tea, pharmaceuticals, as well as their member associations and chambers of commerce.

Rezani is a member of several associations and been volunteering her time for women entrepreneurship development for over 30 years. As a former chairperson of the Women’s Chamber of Industry & Commerce, Sri Lanka and member of its policy advocacy committee, she drove the effort in securing a 5% mandatory loan allocation exclusively for women entrepreneurs, from Central Bank. She also headed the task force of the Chamber in forming the SAARC Chamber Women Entrepreneur Council (SCWEC). She is a member of Vital Voices Global Partnership, the not-for-profit that steers women entrepreneurship development and was on the steering committee of South Asian Women Entrepreneur Symposium (SAWES), both a part of Hilary Clinton’s Global Women’s Initiative (GWI), in addition to several women’s entrepreneurship forums both globally and in South Asia.

Farzana Baduel

CEO, Curzon PR

Farzana is the CEO of Curzon PR. She co-founded it in 2009, having previously run an accountancy firm and serving as Vice-Chair of Business Relations for the UK Conservative Party.

She is a PR expert working across government, corporate, consumer and cultural issues. 

She has particular expertise in strategic communications, and champions the power of PR as a dynamic force for building bridges and unifying the world’s voices into a global narrative. Her other specialisms include crisis communications and public affairs.

She is a media commentator on PR, diversity and female leadership and has written for or contributed to BBC Newsnight, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, the Financial Times, Forbes and PR Week

Farzana lectures around the world, with previous engagements for KPMG, The Guardian Media Summit, the House of Commons, University of Oxford and many others.

An experienced mentor and tutor, she is Resident Public Relations expert and Ambassador for the Oxford Foundry, the University of Oxford’s entrepreneurship centre. She has also delivered talks for Saïd Business School, King’s College London and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations(CIPR). She holds a fellowship at the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) and is a chartered PR professional with CIPR.

With a strong interest in charitable work and increasing diversity and equality, she is a trustee of the British Asian Trust, a charity that tackles poverty and injustice in South Asia, and an ambassador for the National Black Women’s Network.

Her many awards include Businesswoman of the Year at the Muslim Awards, Entrepreneur of the Year at the Asian Women of Achievement Awards, a PR PRO Globe award and the Media Professional of the Year at the AMA Awards.

Gil Bashe

Managing Partner, Chair Global Health & Purpose, Finn Partners

Where people face life-threatening challenges – from ill health or social disparities that block wellbeing and opportunity – Gil hears and answers their call to action. From battlefield to boardroom, he has been at the forefront in tackling people’s challenges. His experience in medicine, patient advocacy, and ecohealth create unique insight into public and planetary health priorities. Industry’s PM360 has recognized him with its Lifetime Achievement Honor and Inside PR (now PRovoke Media) with one of its earliest “All-Star” Awards.

David Bentley

Global CEO, Porter Novelli

David  joined Porter Novelli as CEO in March of this 2020. Bentley brings to Porter Novelli a deep background in digital and business strategy. He has spent his career both in agencies and most recently as a senior leader at McKinsey & Company, helping clients build new businesses, reimagining existing businesses and counseling CEOs on meeting the demands of today’s modern market.

Prior to McKinsey & Company, Bentley spent a decade in North America and European leadership positions at AKQA, before founding his own consultancy. In his career, he has counseled companies such as Google, Johnson & Johnson, Nike and Unilever. 

Romain Bogaerts

Director of Product and AI Engineering, IPM.ai

Romain Bogaerts is Director of Product and AI Engineering at Real Chemistry. His team develops AI algorithms that empower the creative human ideas from the agency to become exponentially more insightful with Data and AI solutions. Romain leads the design and development of advanced new products that use Machine Learning models to help clients optimize their field force, implement marketing segmentation and targeting. They also use demand forecasting and understand the complex patient journeys in the rare disease space. Prior to his current position, Romain led a team at CVS Health that created an AI-enhanced experience for the pharmacists in store by generating real-time alerts for patient safety, drug pricing and insurance claims.

Tilo Bonow

Founder and CEO, PIABO

Tilo Bonow is the founder and CEO of PIABO, Europe’s leading communications partner and growth platform for the digital economy headquartered in Berlin. He established PIABO with the mission to support the rise of globally ambitious tech entrepreneurs in achieving growth targets and ultimately conquering the market. Tech heavyweights such as Stripe, Silicon Valley Bank, GitHub, and Shopify trust in his advice. Tilo is a keynote speaker at international innovation conferences such as NOAH, DLD, and MWC as well as a passionate and active supporter of the tech ecosystem as a mentor for founders. As a value-adding investor in over 40 VC funds worldwide he accelerates the growth of upcoming business stars.

Bonin Bough

co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Group Black

Bonin Bough is co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Group Black, and co-founder of Lockstep Ventures. His work aims to dramatically transform the face of investment and media ownership through his commitment to diversity and inclusion. Bough is one of the foremost-awarded marketing executives in the industry. As one of the youngest-c-suite executives at a Fortune 50 company, he has worked for billion-dollar CPG brands including Mondelez and PepsiCo. He has been responsible for some of the most successful organization transformations and the rapid growth of some of the world's most-loved billion-dollar brands including Oreo, Cadbury's, Gatorade and Frito-Lay. He has been inducted into the Advertising Hall of Achievement. He can also be found in lists such as Fortune’s “40 under 40”, Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business, Ebony’s Power 100 and The Internationalist’s Internationalists of the Year. He is also an author and a CNBC television host.

Julian Boulding

President, thenetworkone

Julian began his career in advertising sales, before working in independent agencies in London. He then joined the DMB&B Group, now part of Publicis, where he spent fourteen years in a succession of senior roles. While with DMB&B, he lived and worked in UK, Europe, USA and Latin America, where he spent 3 years as Regional Client Service Director for Salles DMB&B in Brazil.’ During this time, he directed global advertising campaigns for companies like Procter & Gamble, M&M Mars, Avon and Philips Electronics, rising to be President, International for DMB&B’s sister network, NW Ayer.

In 2003, Julian left the world of traditional agency networks, to co-found thenetworkone.

Frank Bruni

Contributing opinion writer, New York Times

Frank Bruni has been a prominent journalist for more than three decades, including more than 25 years at The New York Times, the last 10 of them as a nationally renowned Op-Ed columnist who appeared frequently as a television commentator on CNN, Real Time with Bill Maher, MSBNC and more. He was previously a White House correspondent for the Times, its Rome bureau chief and, for five years, its chief restaurant critic.

Frank is also the author of four New York Times bestsellers, including, most recently, The Beauty of Dusk, which describes an extraordinary medical and emotional odyssey: He woke up one morning with blurry vision and later discovered that a stroke had destroyed the optic nerve in one of his eyes, leaving the other eye vulnerable to a similar fate and Frank at risk of total blindness. The Beauty of Dusk casts that experience as an inspirational education in vulnerability, resilience and optimism. It reached #5 on both the hardcover nonfiction and the combined print and e-book nonfiction bestseller lists and earned rave reviews from a range of people and publications including Oprah Winfrey, Katie Couric, People magazine, The New York Times and The Washington Post.

In July 2021, Frank became a full professor at Duke University, teaching media-oriented classes in the Sanford School of Public Policy. He continues to write his popular weekly newsletter for the Times and to produce occasional essays as one of the newspaper’s Contributing Opinion Writers. He lives in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Nick Burton

Group Strategy and M&A Director, Enero Group

Nick is a strategy and M&A executive, with experience driving strategic projects and complex M&A deals across a range of industries and geographies. 

Nick leads Corporate Strategy and Corporate Development at Enero Group. Listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, Enero is a global group of specialist marketing services businesses, with deep expertise in high-growth client verticals of Technology, Healthcare and Growth Consumer.

Nick’s strategy work encompasses working with the Enero Board and Executive team to define the Group’s corporate and portfolio strategy, as well as supporting the Group’s agency CEOs to define and execute their own business unit strategy. Nick also is responsible for discovering and negotiating with potential acquisition targets, leading the end-to-end deal and integration processes.

Prior to joining Enero, Nick worked for Bain & Company as a Senior Manager, leading consulting teams focused on strategy development for large corporations and private equity buyouts. His strategy experience covered corporate strategy, commercial strategy, product strategy, innovation strategy and sales GTM strategy, as well as leading operating model, organisational effectiveness and cost reduction programmes. Nick also worked on some of Australia’s largest private equity transactions, supporting clients to assess target markets, complete due diligence on targets and implement post-acquisition value creation plans.

Outside of work, Nick is an avid skier (and former ski instructor), surfer and family man. With 3 children under 5, he is embracing the chaos of family life and the shift to ‘zone defence’.

Kristin Cahill

Global CEO, GCI Health

Jo Carr

Co-Founder and Chief Client Officer, Hope&Glory PR

Jo is Co-founder and Chief Client Officer at independent agency, Hope&Glory. She started the agency with James Gordon-MacIntosh a decade ago and it’s now one of the most awarded creative agencies in the UK, working for brands such as Airbnb, Depop, IKEA, Greggs, Adidas. Virgin Media O2 and Bumble.

Jo has thirty years’ experience working in agencies.  She started her career in Japan and Hong Kong before moving to London where she’s been ever since. In recent months, her favourite pieces of work include Bumble’s campaign to criminalise cyber-flashing; IKEA’s launch of its buy-back programme and Gregg’s collaboration with fashion brand Primark.

Jo gets a kick out of making sure clients are happy and ensuring the talented team at Hope&Glory are delivering their very best work. She is generally the voice of reason in the office, and is good at keeping everyone calm under pressure, a skill she attributes to having two teenage sons at home.

Ephraim Cohen

Global Managing Director, Media + Platforms, FleishmanHillard

Ephraim Cohen is the global managing director of FleishmanHillard’s global Media and Platforms (M+P) practice, which brings media, social, digital and editorial content capabilities into a single, integrated global practice. As part of the M+P practice, Ephraim focuses on the business, communications strategy and professional development impact of emerging platforms and technologies, including metaverse platforms and Web3. He also leads the agency's data transformation strategy, designed to put advanced data tools directly in the hands of every counselor at FleishmanHillard. Prior to his current role, Ephraim was the general manager of FleishmanHillard in New York and oversaw the regional social and digital practice.

Prior to FleishmanHillard, Ephraim was the chair of the technology and digital content industry practice and executive vice president of innovation at MWW. He also founded and ran The Fortex Group, an industry community-building firm targeting the media, music, video and marketing industries, which he launched after serving as the executive vice president and general manager of Edelman’s global technology practice as well as running their Boston office.

Ephraim began his career at BusinessWeek as an assistant editor in the executive programs division. He later became the managing director of the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (IACC) where he worked on trade policy and served as manager of the Digital Future Coalition, an organization focused on global copyright policy. He holds a master’s degree of public policy in international political economy from Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy and a bachelor’s degree in political science and dramatic literature from New York University.

Dr. Ebony Rose Copeland, M.D., MPH

Director of Student Health, Howard University

Ebony Rose Copeland, M.D., MPH, currently serves as the Director of the Howard University Student Health Center and as assistant professor in the Department of Community and Family Medicine within the College of Medicine.

Copeland is fellowship-trained in adolescent medicine and completed her residency in family medicine in Chicago. Prior to residency, she attended medical school at the University of Kansas. She also earned a Master of Public Health degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Hampton University. 

Copeland’s background includes extensive work with the community in reproductive health care and in bringing awareness to health disparities. Most recently, Copeland served as director of adolescent medicine at Morris Heights Health Center in the Bronx, New York. She was responsible for the clinical and programmatic aspects of the Young Adult and Adolescent Health Unit.

Maureen Davenport

Chief Communications Officer, KPMG

Maureen joined KPMG in February 2019 and serves as a trusted advisor and change agent within the organization. As a strategic thinker, she focuses on achieving business results through communications programs. She leads teams in corporate communications responsible for media relations, issues and reputation management,  digital strategy and implementation, internal communications and employee engagement.

Prior to joining KPMG, she served as Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer at Fannie Mae, where she led communications and marketing. Her responsibilities included corporate brand; internal and external communications; leading the corporation’s digital strategy; marketing in support of the company’s brand; corporate giving; community impact and volunteerism; and employee engagement.

Prior to joining Fannie Mae in 2011, she served as Senior Vice President for Communications, Brand and Marketing at the National Association of Manufacturers. Prior to that, Ms. Davenport led Hill & Knowlton’s U.S. technology practice and was responsible for growing the firm’s client portfolio.

Maureen is a board member of the Arthur W. Page Society and the Institute for Public Relations.

John de Havilland

General Manager, Digital and App Innovation, Microsoft

John de Havilland leads the Digital and App Innovation group at Microsoft focusing on helping customers innovate using the power and breadth of the Microsoft ecosystem. A life-long technologist, he started his career in the UK building software platforms for the British government, moving into the startup world helping drive growth and development across several key technology spaces. He has led software engineering teams working at the forefront of technical innovation across various industries helping drive the advancement into the cloud and beyond. He has a strong passion for the power the cloud can bring and constantly works to explore with customers ways to drive innovation using technology available today. The Metaverse is a continuing emerging trend and John and his team partner with many customers helping them think about how to embrace this emerging digital era.

Tarun Deo

Founder & MD, Progressive Communications

Tarun Deo is Founder and Managing Director of Progressive Communications, a well-capitalised public relations start-up established in 2021. The 18-month-old firm, slated to grow 300% and break even by the end of 2022, counts Dole Sunshine Company, Crestron Electronics Asia, Temus, and Zuno Carbon as some of its progressive clientele.

Tarun has more than 25 years’ experience in public relations across Asia Pacific and has lived and worked in India, Hong Kong, and Singapore. For over two decades he has built a reputation for building profitable businesses and helping his teams achieve the highest standards of client service, deliver award winning work, and embrace a passion for innovation that helps his clients find new ways to meet their public relations and business objectives in a fragmented and disrupted communications environment.

As such he has consulted with a wide array of companies across various sectors working most recently with well-known brands including Dole Sunshine Company, McDonalds, Mastercard, Porsche, Twitter and FairPrice.

Tarun is deeply experienced in working with businesses to nurture their brands and reputation in today’s dynamic, “always on” world. He has conceived and led earned public relations programmes with insights, creativity, and visual storytelling at the core of progressive public relations campaigns that have helped his clients engage with their key stakeholders including media and influencers to remain relevant and keep winning.

He was previously at Golin, serving as Managing Director of Singapore and Southeast Asia. Prior to Golin, Tarun served for more than five years as the Managing Director of Fleishman Hillard focusing on their corporate, technology and digital practice groups working with clients across Asia. Before Fleishman Hillard, he was with Text 100 for 10 years building their business in India and SEA. He started his career at Perfect Relations in New Delhi.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), University of Delhi, and was schooled at

Sherwood College, Naini Tal. He is an avid sports fan and a keen golfer. He lives in Singapore.              

Founder & MD Progressive Communications

AnnaMaria DeSalva

Global Chairman and CEO, Hill+Knowlton Strategies

AnnaMaria DeSalva is the Global Chairman and CEO of Hill+Knowlton Strategies, one of the world’s leading strategic communications firms, with more than 70 offices across nearly 40 markets globally. Since joining in this role in June 2019, AnnaMaria has led a period of rapid development and renewal as Hill+Knowlton approaches its centennial milestone. She is also a member of the Executive Committee of WPP plc, the world’s largest marketing services company.

Prior to her tenure at H+K, AnnaMaria served as Chief Communications Officer of DuPont, and subsequently as a senior advisor to Ed Breen, the CEO of DowDuPont, as he advanced the separation and launch of new independent public companies. During her tenure, AnnaMaria restructured the communications function, establishing new standards and protocols to reduce reputation risk and improve performance, while ensuring the company successfully navigated a series of special situations demanding highly sensitive and effective public strategies, including a proxy battle with an activist shareholder; a CEO transition; and the $130 billion merger of equals with Dow leading to the subsequent break-up and creation of three new industry-leading companies.

Before joining DuPont, AnnaMaria spent five years as a vice president of corporate affairs at Pfizer, where she was hired in 2009 to help integrate the $68 billion acquisition of Wyeth, with a focus on the newly combined innovation engine. She was a key partner to the executive leadership team of Pfizer in improving R&D productivity as a member of the Portfolio Strategy and Investment Committee, repositioning the company, building investor confidence, and centering the culture on mission and purpose. When she left Pfizer in 2014, she was the head of the corporate affairs effort spanning communications, policy and government affairs for the innovative core of the company.

Earlier, she served as the global practice leader of healthcare at Hill & Knowlton and GCI Group, both WPP companies, delivering significant revenue growth for each firm. At Bristol-Myers Squibb, she led international public affairs in oncology, working principally in Europe, and later became director of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation.

AnnaMaria is Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of XPO Logistics, a leading provider and innovator in freight transportation. For the XPO board, she chairs the Nominating, Governance and Sustainability Committee and serves on the Audit Committee. AnnaMaria is a Trustee of the Committee for Economic Development of the Conference Board, a member of the Partnership for New York City, and The Economic Club of New York. She also serves on the board of the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at the College of William & Mary, her alma mater. 

Candice Dixon

Coalition Development Director, NPower Command Shift Coalition

Facing the pressing urgencies of health equity, human trafficking, gender equity, and empowering women and girls, Candice champions the national consortium and Fortune 100 companies including Accenture, AWS, Broadridge, Citi, Comcast and more through NPower’s Command Shift Coalition. Diversifying tech is a human rights issue and business imperative. Candice guides business leaders to invest in the nation’s future to ensure young women of color – with a focus on women from underrepresented communities and non-traditional pathways – have equal access to high-performing technology opportunities. 

Licy Do Canto

Managing Director, Washington, D.C., APCO Worldwide

Licy Do Canto, a veteran of public policy, corporate strategy, health care communications and diversity and inclusion, is managing director of APCO Worldwide’s Washington, D.C., headquarters office and mid-Atlantic region lead.

A well respected expert in public health and health care policy, with nearly three decades of experience at the international, national, state and local levels across the nonprofit, philanthropic, corporate and government sectors, Mr. Do Canto is an accomplished, values-driven leader with unparalleled experience in developing and leading integrated public affairs campaigns combining strategic communications, public relations, political/legislative initiatives, policy, coalition building, grassroots efforts and advocacy. 

Mr. Do Canto has held a wide range of positions and has worked across diverse sectors and industries over the course of his successful career, making him uniquely qualified to understand and support leaders and organization to successfully navigate both the opportunities and the diplomatic, technical, and multifaceted industry challenges with which they are confronted.

Mr. Do Canto has vast inside knowledge of the Washington political process, and deep substantive experience on a wide range of public policy issues from public health, health care and social impact to immigration, trade and economic development. Over the years, his expertise has been sought out by policymakers, lawmakers, c-suite executives, advocates and other leaders on international, national and state issues from economic inclusion, equity and diversity, and medical supply chain to environmental protection, fisheries and sustainable development.

Prior to joining APCO, Mr. Do Canto served as Executive Vice President and Managing Director in Burson Cohn & Wolfe’s Public Affairs and Crisis practice, overseeing BCW’s North America Health Care Policy team in Washington, D.C, where he drove healthcare and social impact policy and strategy, and diversity and inclusion, supporting clients in public and corporate affairs, government relations, communications, crisis and reputation management.

Mr. Do Canto also founded and lead a nationally recognized strategic public affairs and communications firm, served as Health Practice Chair and Principal at The Raben Group, was the Chief Executive Officer of The AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth and Families, and managed and helped set the leadership direction for strategic policy, communications, and advocacy investments in executive and senior government affairs roles for the American Cancer Society and the nation’s Community Health Centers.

Before joining the private sector, Mr. Do Canto served as health care policy advisor to U.S. Congressman Barney Frank and served in several positions in the Office of Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Over the course of his extensive tenure in Washington, D.C., Mr. Do Canto has played a leading role in efforts to draft, shape and enact legislation and policy impacting socio-economic and public health, the health care safety net and the health and well-being of the nation’s disadvantaged and underserved communities.

Mr. Do Canto lectures on healthcare quality and policy; diversity, equity and inclusion; crisis management and preparedness; congressional advocacy, and media relations and diversity in communications. His perspectives and views also have been featured in Reuters, The Financial Times, Politico, The Hill, CQ Roll Call, Bloomberg, The Boston Globe, Corporate Counsel Business Journal, among others, and he is co-founder and co-host of the upcoming podcast, Crisis and Coffee, which highlights crisis management and preparedness through the stories of challenge confronting today’s world.

Mr. Do Canto is a graduate of Duke University and holds a certificate in public health leadership in epidemic preparedness and management from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill School of Public Health and Kenan Flagler Business School. He is the recipient of multiple industry awards and citations for his leadership, policy and public affairs acumen, including being named to The Hill Newspaper list of most influential leaders in Washington, D.C., consecutively over the last eleven years, and being described as an expert and influencer that “the nation’s biggest companies…turn to when they want their voices heard in the nation’s capital.”

As a global citizen, Mr. Do Canto has lived in Turkey and Spain, traveled broadly to several regions of the world, and is fluent in Spanish and Cape Verdean Portuguese.

Brandon Drew

VP & Head, US Insights to Impact, UCB

Brandon Drew is Head of U.S. Insights to Impact at UCB, leading a team across finance, strategy, and operations across UCB’s U.S. business to leverage insights and align our resources to have the greatest impact for patients.

Brandon most recently served as global Head of the Bone Health Mission focused on UCB’s work to deliver solutions for people living with post-fracture osteoporosis. In 2017, he created and led the Fracture Demands Action mission focused on efforts to close the treatment gap for osteoporosis patients after fracture. Prior to that, he led UCB’s alliance with Amgen to develop the commercial collaboration model for the launch of Evenity. Today, UCB’s teams have impacted more than 300 hospital systems treating more than 150,000 fracture patients (2021 data). 

Brandon joined UCB in 2007, serving in commercial operations, global business development, and leading several teams in U.S. market access and pricing before joining the Bone team. Prior to joining UCB, Brandon was a management consultant with ZS Associates in Chicago, leading projects ranging from market research and field force analytics to incentive compensation and marketing strategy. He has held previous roles in marketing, business development, consulting and engineering in the healthcare, technology and energy industries.

He holds a bachelor of chemical engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a master of business administration degree from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Richard Edelman

CEO, Edelman

Richard Edelman is the CEO of Edelman, a global communications firm, and Chairman of Daniel J. Edelman Holdings, the firm’s holding company. Founded in 1952 by his father Dan, Edelman remains independent and family owned with more than 6,000 employees in 66 offices across 28 countries.

The firm was named to Advertising Age’s A-List in 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2019 and was honored as “PR Agency of the Decade” by both Advertising Age and PRovoke. At the 2021 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Edelman became the first PR Agency to win a Grand Prix as lead agency in the Entertainment Lions for Sport and was named Independent Agency of the Year in the Entertainment Track.

Richard was named CEO in 1996 taking over for his father, who remained Chairman until he passed away in 2013. Now in his 26th year as CEO, Richard is one of the longest tenured agency leaders in the marketing services industry. During that time, he’s guided the firm’s entry into Digital, Creative, Performance Marketing and Advisory. Under Richard’s leadership, Edelman’s revenue increased 11.5 times enabling it to become the largest communications firm in the world surpassing $1 billion in revenue. DJE Holdings’ revenue increased 14 times during that same period making it the largest independent communications holding company. He also serves as Chair of Edelman’s sister agency Zeno, which was named large agency of the year in 2021 and 2022 by PRWeek. Zeno employs 730+ people across 18 offices.

Richard has extensive experience in marketing and reputation management, having led assignments with major corporations, NGOs and family businesses. He has advised senior executives through significant disruptions within their organizations, including Samsung, Starbucks and United Airlines, and worked on the largest professional services merger in history of Ernst & Whinney and Arthur Young & Co. Richard works with numerous clients including Unilever, Dairy Management Inc. and Chobani. He has counseled countries in every region of the world on economic development programs. As the creator of the annual Edelman Trust Barometer, Richard has become one of the foremost authorities on trust in business, government, media and NGOs. Now in its 22nd year, the Edelman Trust Barometer is widely recognized as the leading piece of research on trust with its cross-cultural insights regularly cited in the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Economist, Fortune, Forbes and other media. The survey also informs academic studies on trust and provides insights to thought-leaders and opinion-shapers around the world.

In 2022, Richard was inducted into the American Advertising Hall of Fame, the first PR executive to ever earn this honor. In 2019, Richard was named the PR Agency Professional of the Past 20 Years by PRWeek and was inducted into the publication’s Hall of Fame; in 2014, Richard was inducted into the Arthur W. Page Society’s Hall of Fame; Advertising Age named him Agency Executive of the Year in 2008. Richard is regarded as an industry thought leader and has posted weekly to his blog since 2004.

He serves on the Board of Directors of the Ad Council, the Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP), the Atlantic Council, Project HOOD, P33, the Gettysburg Foundation, the 9/11 Museum and the National Committee on U.S. China Relations. He is a member of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, World Economic Forum and PR Seminar.

Richard earned his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1978 and a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College in 1976. He and his wife Claudia live in New York City, and he has three daughters, Margot, Tory and Amanda.

Brian Ellner

EVP, Growth & Marketing, BCW, U.S. Public Affairs Lead, WPP

Brian Ellner is a business leader who guides prominent corporations and brands through the interconnected worlds of politics, government, media and communications. He was named by City & State New York as one of the top 15 key players in the world of New York politics and government and one of the 50 most powerful New Yorkers in communications.

Brian leads Public Affairs in the U.S. for WPP, the world’s largest creative transformation company, and serves as EVP, corporate communications for BCW, WPP’s premier global corporate communications and public affairs advisory firm.

At WPP Brian focuses on advising senior leadership on corporate affairs matters and on building the company’s reputation in the United States with an emphasis on civic engagement in New York where WPP has three campuses and over 9,000 employees.

At BCW, Brian counsels corporate clients on public affairs, corporate communications and social purpose.

Brian has helped shape the strategy for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and the Equality Act, recruiting American corporations to support their passage. Previously Brian led strategy for Human Right’s Campaigns successful effort to enact marriage equality in New York and he created the Americans for Marriage Equality campaign while providing strategic counsel on the successful ballot marriage wins in Maryland, Minnesota, Maine and Washington State.

Prior to joining WPP and BCW, Brian spent four years at Edelman where he led Public Affairs & Issues Advocacy, advising clients in the finance, government, education, nonprofit, philanthropic, professional sports and transportation spaces. Brian was a senior aide in the administration of Mayor Bloomberg, working with the NYC Department of Education to transform public education. He started his career as an attorney and practiced with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison and O'Melveny & Myers. He represented media and fashion clients including Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Miramax and Viacom.

Brian currently serves on the Board of Athlete Ally where he helped develop the global Principle 6 campaign in response to Russia’s anti-gay laws during the Sochi Olympics. He is a Founding Board Member of the 5BORO Institute, the newly formed policy think tank dedicated to NYC’s revival and Brian is WPP’s representative to the Partnership for NYC. Brian is also the executive sponsor for WPP Unite in North America, the company’s LGBTQ+ ERG. In 2015, Brian was awarded ADCOLOR’S Advocate of the Year.

A graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School, Brian is a native New Yorker who grew up in Stuyvesant Town and attended New York City's public schools. 

Peter Finn

Founder and CEO, Finn Partners

Purpose has been a transformational force in the development of FINN Partners. Having served as co-CEO of an iconic public relations agency, Peter knew it was time to introduce a new communications agency into the world – one with a compelling vision and guiding values. FINN Partner was born from the understanding that by being an agency with a heart and a conscience, clients would rally to the idea that social impact and high performance align and belong on the balance sheet of business success. Peter has been credited for his pioneering work with the Catskill Mountain Foundation, uniting arts, culture and rural development to challenge despair and poverty.  

Andrew Flagel

President, Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metro Area

Andrew Flagel is President and CEO the organization that fosters collaboration for higher education across the National Capital Region. The Consortium includes public, private and Federal institutions, community colleges, HBCU’s and flagship research universities. Through the Consortium, members coordinate critical work supporting efforts from student success and workforce development to emergency management and campus policing.  The Consortium led COVID testing efforts in area schools, and is now leading national discussions on responses to gun violence. As a Dean at George Mason University, Dr. Flagel created ground-breaking programs for veterans, international, and transfer students. He left Mason to serve as Senior Vice President at Brandeis University, and then as Vice President for Advancement at the Association of American Colleges and Universities before returning to DC to lead the Consortium. 

Amanda Forster

Vice President, Communications, Premier Inc.

Chris Foster

CEO, Omnicom Public Relations Group

Chris Foster is the CEO of Omnicom Public Relations Group, overseeing 15 communications, consulting and public affairs firms within Omnicom. In his role, he is focused on talent, innovation and cross-agency collaboration to drive growth.

Chris previously was the President of North America at BCW Group, responsible for managing growth, talent and client relationships in the region. Within his portfolio there were 6 companies rolling up to his regional P&L.  Prior to the BCW merger, he was the Global Executive Vice President and Chief Business Development Officer for Burson-Marsteller, leading both organic growth and new business development across the global operation.  Chris took a break from public relations agencies in 2010 and spent 5 years at the global management consulting firm, Booz Allen Hamilton, where he was Senior Vice President and Partner leading teams and growth across the government and civil business.

Chris has led national and global public awareness and communications campaigns for organizations such as the U.S Department of Defense, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Social Security Administration, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Amgen and Intel. He specializes in working with the federal government and private companies on understanding reputation risk and leveraging communications analytics to drive enterprise wide strategy.

Foster serves on the Board of Directors for The LAGRANT Foundation, The Institute for Public Relations, 4A’s, Public Relations Counsel (Vice Chairman) and the University of Virginia’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies.  Foster is also a founding member of the Black Executive CMO Alliance (BECA) founded in April 2021.  He was named to PR Week’s “U.S. Power List” in 2021 and has been a guest lecturer at Columbia University School of Continuing Studies, the University of Maryland and Western Kentucky University. 

In 2017, Foster published his first book, “Reputation Strategy and Analytics in a Hyper-Connected World,” a cross-disciplinary resource for communication and digital professionals alike.

He earned an M.S. in Applied Behavioral Counseling from The Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in Philosophy from The University of Virginia.

Robert Gibbs

Senior Counsel, Bully Pulpit Interactive

Robert Gibbs is Senior Counsel at Bully Pulpit Interactive (BPI), where he focuses on executive communications, building social impact plans, and corporations' responses to crises.

With decades of communications experience at the highest levels, Robert brings a unique perspective to the agency. As the White House Press Secretary for President Obama during the financial crisis and then Global Chief Communications Officer for McDonald’s, Robert is uniquely positioned to lead brands, campaigns, and causes through times of immense change and strengthen reputations in a world which is constantly demanding more.

Robert spent four and a half years at McDonald’s as Executive Vice President and Global Chief Communications Officer, where he oversaw all corporate communications, public relations, internal and executive communications, global government relations, and public affairs work. Before joining McDonald’s, Robert was a top advisor to President Obama for nearly a decade. Starting as the Communications Director for then-Senator Obama, Gibbs served in the same role for the 2008 campaign, as the first White House Press Secretary for the Obama Administration, and as a Senior Advisor on the 2012 re-election campaign. In 2013, he co-founded the Incite Agency, now a part of BPI.

Robert lives in Chicago with his wife and son. 

Dan Glickman

Former U.S. secretary of agriculture, Chair of APCO Worldwide’s International Advisory Council

Dan Glickman, former U.S. secretary of agriculture and chair of APCO Worldwide’s International Advisory Council, is the former executive director of the Aspen Institute Congressional Program, a nongovernmental, nonpartisan educational program for members of the United States Congress. Secretary Glickman also serves as a senior fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C., formed by former Senate majority leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole and George Mitchell, to develop and promote bipartisan solutions to the country’s problems and to promote civility in government.

Prior to joining the Aspen Institute, Secretary Glickman was chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA) and director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

From 1995 to 2001, Secretary Glickman served as U.S. secretary of agriculture, where he led the department in administering farm and conservation programs; modernizing food safety regulations; forging international trade agreements to expand U.S. markets; and improving its commitment to fairness and equality in civil rights. 

Before his appointment as secretary, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 18 years, representing the 4th congressional district of Kansas. During that time, he was a member of the House Agriculture Committee, including six years as chairman of the subcommittee with jurisdiction over federal farm policy issues. He was also an active member of the House Judiciary Committee; chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; and a leading congressional expert on general aviation policy.

Earlier in his career, Secretary Glickman was president of the Wichita School Board; partner in the law firm of Sargent, Klenda and Glickman; and trial attorney at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Secretary Glickman is currently a member of the Kansas and District of Columbia Bars, Council on Foreign Relations, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the Council on American Politics at The Graduate School of Political Management at The George Washington University; is a senior fellow of the Center on Communication Leadership and Policy at the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism; and is vice-chair of the World Food Program-USA.

He is also on the board of directors of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange; Food Research and Action Center, a domestic anti-hunger organization; Issue One, an organization promoting democratic institutions in America; and the Center for U.S. Global Engagement, where he is chair of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. Additionally, he co-chairs the Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ global agricultural development initiative, as well as an initiative of eight foundations administered by the Meridian Institute that looks at long-term implications of food and agricultural policy. Secretary Glickman is also adjunct professor of food and nutrition at the Tufts University School of Nutrition.

Secretary Glickman received a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor degree from George Washington University.

Seth Goldenberg

Founder and CEO, Curiosity & Co.

Seth Goldenberg is a designer, activist, curator, and entrepreneur who harnesses the power of questioning to catalyze innovation and cultural change. He is the founder and CEO of Curiosity & Co., is an imagination company that explores, designs, and builds flourishing futures through a design-venture studio, an experience laboratory, Ideas Salons as thought-leader retreats that tackle the essential questions of our time, and a one of a kind bookstore on the island of Jamestown, RI.

Blending diverse disciplines, cultural, and business practices has led to his signature inquiry-based methodology that challenges commonly held beliefs to imagine flourishing futures. In August 2022, he published Radical Curiosity with Penguin Random House, articulating his strategic framework as a practice for individuals, businesses, and communities to thrive during an era of the fundamental
redesign of public life.

Seth has worked with more than 30 of the Fortune 500 companies, leading non-profit organizations, and regional governments such as Apple, American Express, GE, Capital One Bank, Boston University, the City of Liverpool, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Moses Brown School, Unity College, ConocoPhillips, VISA, the Oprah Winfrey Network, and the Governor of Rhode Island. He also founded Dialog: City, the civic arts festival for the 2008 Democratic National Convention. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Wired, Time Magazine, Stanford Social Innovation Review and Fast Company.

Jennifer Gottlieb

Global President and Chief Client Officer, Real Chemistry

Susan Gurley

Executive Director, Anxiety & Depression Association of America 

Susan Gurley is the Executive Director of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). She is a lawyer and advocate with 25 years of experience working in the mental health and access to justice fields, international development and legal reform, and higher education administration.

Prior to joining ADAA, Ms. Gurley held senior-level positions in several U.S. government agencies, such as the United States Agency for International Development, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Ms. Gurley served as both the Assistant Dean for International and Graduate Programs, at the Georgetown University School of Law ,and worked at Equal Justice Works and the Association of Corporate Business Travel Executives.

Ms. Gurley is a Phi Beta Kappa and received her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. Ms. Gurley has worked in 30+ countries and speaks French, German, and Hungarian. 

Ed Harnaga

SVP, Head of External Communications & Enterprise Reputation, Pfizer Inc

Ed is responsible for all external communications activities across Pfizer including corporate reputation, media relations, digital and social media, executive positioning, with a focus on supporting Pfizer’s Commercial, Research and Development and Manufacturing organizations.  Ed leads a team of close to 160 Communications professionals from across the globe, all focused on improving and protecting Pfizer’s reputation and positioning the company as a patient-focused, science-based organization across all stakeholder groups.  Ed sits on the Corporate Affairs Leadership Team and he works closely with Pfizer’s entire Executive Committee. 

Prior to joining Pfizer, Ed led practices at a number of consulting firms and was most recently Senior Managing Director and Head of the Healthcare & Life Sciences Sector at FTI Consulting’s Strategic Communications Unit. In this role, he was responsible for strategic planning, thought leadership, and new business development.  As key account lead for a number of multi-national pharmaceutical and biotech clients, Ed managed a team of professionals across a variety of functions including corporate and executive communications, scientific and pipeline communications, internal communications and change management, issues and reputation management, corporate branding, investor relations and public affairs.  
 
Ed has over 30 years of experience advising Fortune 500 CEOs and corporations on a variety of communications challenges and he has worked with a wide range of healthcare companies including Novartis, Eli Lilly, Baxter, Daiichi Sankyo, Shire, Covance, Astellas and GE Healthcare.  Ed’s broader communications work has included highly recognizable brands such as Gerber, Starbucks, Sun Microsystems, Kellogg’s and AARP. 
 
Ed has taken part in numerous global task forces in the public affairs arena including the Council on Foreign Relations’ Task Force on Improving U.S. Public Diplomacy and the East-West Institute’s US-Russian Task Force against HIV/AIDS. Ed holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the State University of New York at Albany.   

Gail Heimann

Chief Executive Officer, Weber Shandwick

Paul Holmes

Founder & Chair, PRovoke Media

Paul Holmes, founder and chair of PRovoke Media, has been writing about public relations for more than 25 years. Paul began his career in local newspapers in the north of England and also worked for a newspaper group in South London before joining PR Week as news editor in 1985.

In 1987 he moved to New York to launch the short-lived US edition of that publication, and after that project came to an inglorious end worked with Adweek and Adweek’s Marketing Week for a year.

In 1989, he launched his own company, initially publishing Inside PR, and later Reputation Management magazine, both focused on providing analysis of critical trends and issues in the public relations industry. He created the annual Public Relations Agency Report Card, which included profiles of the leading PR firms in the US, and the Creativity in Public Relations Awards, which grew to become the largest in North America.

Early in 2000, Holmes launched The Holmes Group, which provides knowledge and insight to public relations professionals across a variety of platforms, including a website, an e-newsletter, events, printed reports, research and consulting assignments, and the SABRE Awards competition. The group’s flagship title, PRovoke Media (p/k/a The Holmes Report), covers the public relations business in the Americas, EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) and the Asia-Pacific region. In 2011, Paul was inducted into the ICCO Hall of Fame.

Caroline Hsu

Chief Global Officer, The Hoffman Agency

Perri Irmer

President and CEO, The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center

Perri Irmer is President and CEO of The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, the iconic institution founded in 1961 by Dr. Margaret Burroughs. It is one of the oldest institutions of its kind in the U.S. She has held this position since September 2015, and her plans for the DuSable include advancing Dr. Burroughs' vision of the museum as a center for African and African American arts and culture, as well as a center for research, thought leadership and community advancement. Ms. Irmer was born and raised in Hyde Park, holds a Professional Bachelor of Architecture from the Illinois Institute of Technology (1981), and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School (1991).

Irmer began her architecture career with Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, and later practiced with Holabird & Root. She then moved into the commercial real estate and construction management fields before pursuing a legal career. Irmer was a litigator in private law practice before enjoying a distinguished tenure in government, having served as the CEO of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority; Assistant General Counsel for Chicago Public Schools; Deputy Commissioner of the City of Chicago Department of Buildings; and Director of Construction Services for the Public Building Commission of Chicago. As a private sector real estate professional, Irmer served as a Vice President of Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. and as Senior Vice President of Mesirow Financial. To date, Irmer has administered well over $6 billion in public and private construction projects. She has a strong track record of effective team building and community advocacy.

Irmer serves as President of Museums in the Park and sits on both The Obama Presidential Center Inclusion Council and the After School Matters Advisory Board. In addition, she serves on IIT’s Alumni Board of Directors’ Admissions and International Committees and was a founding member of its African American Alumni Association. Irmer is a member of the Economic Club and the Commercial Club of Chicago as well as The Chicago Network. She has served on the boards of many civic and charitable organizations, including Choose Chicago and the Catholic Theological Union, and was a founding member of the Chicago Sports Commission. Irmer is the recipient of numerous awards and honors for her involvement in community and youth services, as well as her longstanding support and advocacy of minority and women-owned businesses and her promotion of international business relationships within Illinois. She has three adult daughters and four grandchildren, all of whom reside in Chicago.

Camille Johnston

Chief Communications Officer, Siemens

Camille Johnston is responsible for developing, leading and implementing an integrated communications, marketing and brand strategy for Siemens across the U.S. She is a member of the board of the Siemens Foundation, which ignites and sustains today’s STEM workforce and tomorrow’s scientists and engineers. Camille joined Siemens from The White House, where she served as Special Assistant to the President and Director of Communications for First Lady Michelle Obama. Prior to the White House she was a communications consultant for the Entertainment Industry Foundation on the Stand Up To Cancer campaign which raised more than $100 million for cancer research, and was the Senior Vice President of Communications for the Los Angeles Dodgers. A veteran of the Clinton-Gore campaigns, Camille served as Communications Director for Mrs. Tipper Gore, Press Secretary for Labor Secretary Robert Reich and Education Secretary Richard Riley, and Communications Director for OSHA.

AJ Jones II

Chief Communications Officer & EVP, Public Affairs, Starbucks

Aranthan “AJ” Jones II is executive vice president and chief communications officer, Public Affairs for Starbucks. In this role, AJ is responsible for leading Starbucks global communications, international communications, partner communications, Starbucks Stories, entertainment and more.

Before joining Starbucks, AJ was the Chief Corporate Affairs and Communications Officer for Vanda Pharmaceuticals, where he led the communications, investor relations, government affairs, corporate branding, ESG (environmental, social and governance), corporate philanthropy, and advocacy functions as a named executive officer. He also served as an executive member of the company’s corporate development and licensing review committee.

Prior to serving in this position, AJ held several executive roles at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, leading the organization’s internal and external communications, thought leadership and public policy initiatives and celebrity entertainment partnerships. Reporting directly to the President and CEO, he served as a lead spokesperson and as a senior implementation strategist on behalf of the organization’s domestic and international investments and social enterprises.

Prior to his corporate and philanthropic roles, AJ was the policy director for Rep. James Clyburn, U.S. Congressional majority whip. While there, he was directly responsible for crafting more than 214 pieces of legislation, 142 of which became law, and was a lead policy negotiator and external communicator for the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act which created the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP).

AJ has worked extensively internationally in Hong Kong, South Africa, Germany, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Nigeria and France. Additionally, he can speak Yoruba and is currently learning conversational Hebrew.

He is an avid world traveler, a devoted jazz fan, an art and horology enthusiast, and a budding gastronome. AJ is a standing guest lecturer at Harvard University and a member of the Forbes Communications Council. His favorite Starbucks beverages are Iced White Tea, White Hot Chocolate, and Caramel Apple Spice.

AJ holds a B.S. in sociology and anthropology from Iowa State University. He received his graduate training in global health policy with concentrations in economic development and finance from George Washington University. Additionally, he is completing an MBA at Cornell University as an Emerging Markets Fellow.

Jim Joseph

CEO, U.S. and Global Chief Marketing and Integration Officer, Ketchum

Marketing is a spectator sport and Jim Joseph is one of the industry’s most engaging, enthralling, and entertaining commentators and drivers. In his primary role as CEO, U.S. at Ketchum, Jim constantly puts his decades-long integrated marketing experience to the test.

Jim’s list of brand experience spans virtually every industry and is a who’s who list of the most impressive brands on the planet including Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Walmart, Intel, Oracle, American Express, Novartis, Microsoft, Hyatt, Ford, and McDonald’s.

Jim is also an award-winning author of The Experience Effect series and an adjunct instructor at New York University where he teaches a graduate class in integrated marketing. His newest book The Conscious Marketer explores the need for brands to be aware of socio-political, public health, and cultural issues in their marketing. He has also written a book about his journey as a father in Out & About Dad.

Entrepreneur of the Year, Agency of the Year, Consumer Launch Campaign of the Year, Most Creative Agency, Best Place to Work, Social Media Icon, Hall of Fame – these are the accolades that Jim has amassed throughout his career. But none are more important than the daily badge he wears with the most pride: dad.

Michael Kaye

Global Head of Communications, OkCupid

Michael Kaye is the Global Head of Communications at OkCupid where he leads PR programming in the United States and for countries across Europe, the Middle East and Oceania. Michael has been featured in ABC News, Business Insider, CBS, CNN, Cosmopolitan, Good Morning America, The New York Times, VICE and The Washington Post. Kaye is also an Adjunct Instructor at New York University and on the Board of Governors for the Human Rights Campaign.

Corley Kenna

Head of Communications and Policy, Patagonia

Greg Kihlstorm

Principal, Chief Strategist and podcast host, GK5A; The Agile World podcast

Greg is an advisor and consultant to top companies on customer experience, employee experience, and digital transformation initiatives. He is also the host of The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström podcast. He is a two-time CEO and Co-Founder, leading both to be acquired. As a strategist, digital transformation, and customer experience advisor, he has worked with some of the world’s top brands, including Adidas, Coca-Cola, Dell, FedEx, GEICO, HP, Marriott, Toyota, and VMware. 

He is a member of the School of Marketing Faculty at the Association of National Advertisers, and currently serves on the University of Richmond’s Customer Experience Advisory Board.  Greg is Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certified, is an Agile Certified Coach (ICP-ACC) and  holds a certification in Business Agility (ICP-BAF). 

Meaningful Measurement of the Customer Experience, Greg’s eighth and latest book provides guidance on how to create a customer-centric culture that prioritizes customer needs while aligning internal teams around a common goal. Greg is a regular contributing writer to Forbes and CMSWire, and has been featured in publications such as Advertising Age, SmartCEO, Website Magazine, and The Washington Post. Greg was named one of ICMI’s Top 25 CX Thought Leaders of 2022, and a DC Inno 2018 50 on Fire winner as a DC trendsetter in Marketing.

Aaron Kwittken

Founder and CEO, PRophet

Aaron (he/him) is founder and CEO of PRophet, the first-ever AI-driven platform, built by and for PR professionals, to use a proprietary combination of natural language processing and machine learning to predict media interest and story sentiment before sending a pitch He is also President of  the New York Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA-NY) and founder and chairman of KWT Global, a highly acclaimed PR and brand strategy firm with offices in New York, London and LA. He’s also

A proud George Washington University alum, Aaron serves on GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs advisory committee. He’s past president of the Americas for the International Communications Consultancy Organization (ICCO), a former Board member of the PR Council, a former adjunct professor at NYU, has written for Forbes and The Drum and is the creator and host of the popular Brand on Purpose podcast that features companies that do well by doing good. He’s also the recipient of several prominent industry recognitions, including being named a member of the 2022 PR Week Dashboard 25 and Provoke Innovator 25. He has deep expertise in marketing technology, brand strategy, reputation management, crisis management and purpose-driven marketing. An endurance sports enthusiast, Aaron puts social impact at the center of everything he does personally and professionally.

Dr. Nneka Logan

Associate Professor, Virginia Tech

Dr. Nneka Logan is an associate professor in the School of Communication at Virginia Tech. Her research focuses on public relations, corporate social responsibility, race, DEI and AI. She is passionate about connecting academic theory to industry practice in ways that positively impact individuals, organizations and society. Her research appears in leading peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Public Relations Research, Journal of Business Ethics and Public Relations Review. Her work has also won numerous awards from organizations such as the National Communication Association, the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, and Public Relations Society of America.

Shayoni Lynn

CEO and Founder, Lynn

Shayoni Lynn FCIPR FPRCA CMPRCA is CEO and Founder at multi-award-winning behavioural science consultancy, Lynn.  Shayoni is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) and is Chair of PRCA Cymru.

She is listed in the PRWeek Power Book (2021 and 2022) – the definitive list of the most influential and respected communications professionals in the UK. In 2022, PRCA awarded Shayoni across two categories in their DARE Awards: Outstanding Contribution during COVID-19 and Professional of the Year.

Shayoni represents Wales at the UK PR Council and is a founding panel member and Vice-Chair of CIPR's Behavioural Insights Interest Group. She also sits on CIPR’s ESG Expert Panel, and is a committee member for Government Communication Service (GCS) South West and Wales.

Shayoni is a regular industry awards judge (CIPR, PRCA, CASE, PRWeek, SABRE) and speaks on the use of data, behavioural science in communications, and measurement & evaluation at conferences globally.

Shayoni is an Associate Lecturer on the MA in International PR and Global Communications Management at Cardiff University. She was a finalist for the Institute of Directors’ Director of the Year Awards (YOUNG and INNOVATION) in 2021. 

Maurizio Maione

Chief of the CEO Staff, SEC Newgate

Katharine Manning

Author, The Empathetic Workplace

Katharine Manning is the author of The Empathetic Workplace: Five Steps to a Compassionate, Calm, and Confident Response to Trauma on the Job (HarperCollins Leadership 2021) and the President of Blackbird DC. She has worked on issues of trauma and victimization for more than 25 years.

As a Senior Attorney Advisor with the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, for fifteen years Manning guided the Justice Department through its response to victims in cases ranging from terrorism to large-scale financial fraud to child exploitation. Some of the cases she advised on include the Boston Marathon bombing, the Pulse nightclub and South Carolina AME church shootings, the uprising in Charlottesville, the Madoff investment fraud, and the federal case against Larry Nassar, doctor for the U.S. Women’s Olympic Gymnastics team.

Manning now uses her expertise to help organizations prepare for and respond to the challenges they face involving employees and clients who may be in trauma. A member of the bar in Washington, D.C. and California, Manning also served as an attorney with the law firm Pillsbury Winthrop in San Francisco, where she represented Fortune 500 companies in class actions, insurance, and media cases. She is a graduate of Smith College and the University of Virginia School of Law and teaches at American University and in the Master’s in Trauma-Informed Leadership Program at Dominican University.

Tim Marklein

Founder & CEO, Big Valley Marketing

Tim Marklein is an award-winning Silicon Valley marketer with 20+ years experience helping clients launch businesses, create market categories, build reputations, win proxy fights and grow revenues. As an agency and in-house executive, Tim has worked closely with pioneers and leaders across technology, healthcare, consumer and B2B industries.

Before founding Big Valley, Tim led two fast-growing and innovative practices (Technology and Analytics) for W2O Group. He previously led Weber Shandwick’s Northern California business and founded the agency’s Measurement & Strategy practice, where he served as an architect behind the industry’s first global PR measurement standards.

Tim previously led global public relations for HP’s $30 billion enterprise business and served as director of corporate PR following the HP-Compaq merger. He earlier spent 10 years at two pioneering Silicon Valley agencies – Applied Communications and Jennings & Company – that broke new ground in the application of research, competitive dynamics and strategy to communications challenges.

ssica has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and French from University of Denver and a Master’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism from University of Southern California.

Diana Marszalek

Senior Reporter, PRovoke Media

Erin Meade

Associate Director of Media Relations, Bipartisan Policy Center

Erin Meade is the associate director of media relations for the Bipartisan Policy Center. Prior to joining BPC, she worked as a senior manager of campaigns at the National Audubon Society, supporting several successful clean energy, climate, and conservation issues at the state and federal levels. Prior to Audubon, Meade worked for Kaiser Permanente in several strategic communications consulting roles, and she began her career on Capitol Hill as a legislative aide in the Senate.

Tanya Meck

Partner and Managing Director , Global Strategy Group

Tanya Meck is a seasoned business leader and communications strategist bringing over 20 years of experience at the high-stakes intersection of media, business, and politics.

Tanya leads Global Strategy Group’s global communications and public affairs business. As a member of the company’s five-person executive team, Tanya has helped lead and manage its unprecedented growth in recent years. 2021 was among the firm’s highest-grossing revenue years and the employee base grew alongside it, up from 95 employees to more than 150 today.

From time spent in government, non-profits, and corporations, Tanya has a deep and diverse professional background — one which gives her unique visibility into client and stakeholder needs. Her focus on executable approaches to business challenges and her expertise in highly regulated industries has earned her a portfolio of clients including Apollo, Nestlé Waters North America, Google, Brookfield Asset Management, and MGM Resorts as well as an expansive roster of energy, healthcare, and financial services clients. Her work with non-profits such as the Rockefeller Foundation, Black Economic Alliance and Teach for America round out her portfolio.

Joining GSG in 2011 and elevated to partner in 2016, Tanya has been central in shepherding the expansion of the firm’s Communications and Public Affairs practice, with an almost 300 percent annual revenue growth over the past ten years. During this time, she also established the Corporate Impact and Employee Communications Practices; was an instrumental partner in conceiving and launching GSG’s annual Business and Politics report, an authoritative study on the role companies play in political and social discourse; and a key player in bringing Madison Avenue level creative offerings to the public affairs world by launching THE L@B, an in-house creative agency offering a full suite of video production, design, animation, and digital strategy.

Tanya is an output-driven business leader with proven successes in expanding the firm’s reach. GSG recently partnered with SEC Newgate, a global network of agencies, and Tanya is playing a critical role in the firms’ massive integration efforts as a liaison for heads of offices around the world.

Tanya graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, where she was an All-American athlete. She holds a master’s degree in Public Policy Studies from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut where she focused on the intersection of gender and policy and also coached the women’s field hockey and lacrosse teams. 

Rodell Mollineau

Partner & Co-Founder, ROKK Solutions

Greg Mondshein

Co-Founder & Managing Partner, SourceCode Communications

Known for his no ego, no excuses approach, Greg has an unparalleled ability to build trusted
relationships with clients and teams. For 15 years, he has launched consumer tech companies
with bold, creative campaigns and grown some of the world’s most notable technology PR firms.
Co-chair of the PR Council’s Next Board, Greg is a PRovoke Top 25 Innovator in PR in North
America and a member of the University of Florida’s PR Advisory Council.

Elizabeth Owen

Corporate Communications, Levi Strauss

Elizabeth Owen is the vice president of business performance and internal communication for Levi Strauss & Co. She leads the teams that are responsible for business and financial communications and storytelling in support of the company’s digital transformation. She is also responsible for creating internal and executive communications programs to drive employee engagement.

Ms. Owen has broad corporate communications experience – corporate reputation, issues management, branding, executive communications and product launches – and deep internal communications know-how – leadership transitions, employee engagement, brand and product activations, mergers/acquisitions and change communications.

Prior to joining LS&Co., she spent two years as the Director of Marketing and Public Relations for a private school, where she modernized the school’s communications and marketing program and served as a strategic advisor to the Board of Trustees. Ms. Owen served as Senior Vice President and Deputy General Manager at WPP Team Dell (now AxiCom), where she oversaw U.S. staff and operations, and led the agency team responsible for driving global employee communications programs for Dell. Ms. Owen’s previous agency experience includes Fleishman-Hillard and PainePR (now Citizen PR). She started her career at Levi Strauss & Co. and is proud to be back working at a company known for its iconic brands and values.

Maja Pawinska Sims

Associate Editor, PRovoke Media

Maja Pawinska Sims has been the EMEA editor of PRovoke Media since January 2018. She has been writing about public relations and communications for 22 years, first as features editor of PRWeek and then as a freelance writer and editor for PR agencies and their clients around the world, including three years as Weber Shandwick’s EMEA editor. She was named Journalist of the Year at the Global Women in Marketing Awards in 2019, where the judges noted: “Maja proves how empathy can drive brilliant editorial thinking. She is clearly an absolute expert in her field and proves that you can challenge an industry while also championing it.”

Emily Poe

Group President, Integrated Communications, Real Chemistry

Emily Poe brings more than two decades of healthcare and scientific communications to the Real Chemistry. Her expertise spans US, global, corporate and product communications, social media, advocacy relations and digital marketing initiatives that help clients achieve their business objectives. Emily oversees Real Chemistry’s Integrated Communications business.

In her role, she teams with senior leaders to strategically bring together Real Chemistry’s integrated services to create unique and impactful solutions across Real Chemistry’s healthcare communications clients. One area of focus is applying Real Chemistry’s differentiated AI platform to help inform strategies, support communication ideation and how and where to best reach priority audiences.

Emily has extensive experience working across the healthcare industry, with deep experience
in key therapeutic areas such as oncology, neurodegenerative disorders, pain, mental health, immunology, rare diseases and
infectious diseases.  

Prior her position at Real Chemistry, Emily was Executive Vice President for the Healthcare practice at Cohn & Wolfe, where she oversaw communications for global and US franchises,
as well as other scientifically focused programming. She has also held leadership positions at Euro RSCG Life PR and Noonan Russo Communications.

Emily began her career as an Assistant Editor at Nature Publishing Group. She has a degree in biological sciences from Cornell University, where she published a paper on genetic implications of insect neurobehavior in the journal Nature.

Jen Psaki

Host/Commentator, MSNBC

Paul Quigley

CEO & Cofounder, NewsWhip

Paul Quigley is cofounder and CEO of NewsWhip, the only real-time media monitoring platform that can predict which issues or topics important to your brand will resonate with the public today. NewsWhip has grown to be trusted by thousands of brands, agencies, and journalists to spot breaking news, unpack crises and issues, and better understand which stories are engaging audiences in over 80 countries. Paul is a winner of the Emerging EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the Eir Spider Awards, and the PRovoke Innovator 25.

Aubrey Quinn

Senior communications executive,

Aaron Radelet

Senior Vice President, Global Communication Officer, Walgreens Boots Alliance

Aaron Radelet oversees all communications globally across the organization – externally, internally and for every brand. His team’s responsibilities include media relations, employee communications, executive communications, financial communications, digital communications, corporate-responsibility communications and corporate events.

Previously, Radelet served as Hilton Worldwide’s Chief Communications Officer and Senior Vice President, as well as Vice President of Global Communications. He headed communications at the corporate level across Hilton’s 14 brands and 5,000 properties in 105 countries during the company’s unprecedented growth. At Sprint Nextel, he led the communications for the entertainment division, and at AOL Time Warner, Radelet successfully announced the new AOL for Mac OS X, as well as initiatives with other AOL Time Warner divisions such as HBO, TNT and Time Warner Cable.

Radelet received his Bachelor of Arts in Advertising and Public Relations at Grand Valley State University, and completed executive leadership programs at Cornell University and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Andréa Richardson

Executive Vice President-Global Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Zeno Group

Andréa Richardson is EVP of DEI at Zeno Group. Over the last two decades, Andréa has provided strategic counsel to top global corporations, nonprofits and public entities on DEI strategies, multicultural marketing, crisis management, reputation management and corporate social responsibility. Prior to her time at Zeno, Andréa co-led the DEI practice as a Managing Director of Strategic Communication at Finsbury Glover Herring.  

One of her most notable appointments include her role at Hilton as their head of multicultural & diversity engagement. Over the course of her career, Andréa has been named Out & Equal’s Outstanding Champion, Black Enterprise Magazine’s Top Female Executive in Advertising & Marketing and was recently named one of the 100 Most Influential Persons of African Descent in Business and Entrepreneurship as proclaimed by United Nation’s General Assembly. Andréa received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication & Media Studies from Pace University and an MBA with a concentration in Media Management from Metropolitan College of New York. 

Steve Rochlin

CEO and Founder, IMPACT ROI

Steve has over 20 years of experience in sustainability and corporate responsibility, and has advised leading companies across a wide variety of industry sectors, associations, NGOs, multi-lateral organizations, grant-making institutions, and government agencies on how to improve sustainability performance in a way that drives competitive success. 

Steve is the lead author of the Project ROI research series, acclaimed as the leading business case research by Forbes, and Inc. among others. The series of reports for which he served as lead author include: Defining the Competitive and Financial Advantages of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability; The Business ROI of Social Investments; and Driving Corporate Involvement in Community Health and Well-being. 

Steve has been a senior executive at three leading ESG organizations- he was the co-founder and CEO of IO Sustainability (which is now Impact ROI), the Director of Global Advisory Services and a member of the Board of Directors for AccountAbility, and the Director of Research and Development for the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship. 

Steve is also the co-author of two books on ESG: Beyond Good Company: Next Generation Corporate Citizenship and Untapped: Creating Value in Underserved Markets.

Marc Rogers

Partner, Davis+Gilbert LLP

When companies pursue transformative next steps for their businesses, they know Marc Rogers is invested in their success. In every M&A or debt financing transaction he handles, Marc focuses on getting his clients closer to their overarching business goals with solutions tailored to their unique growth strategies.

Along with staying up to date on industry trends that affect his clients, Marc provides useful insight into economic and government developments that may impact a transaction or the way in which clients operate their businesses. He understands their objectives, how they run their business, where they want to go strategically and how each transaction fits into their big picture.

Marc works with businesses of every size and in every stage of the growth cycle. Clients value his ability to explain complex deal terms in plain English and help them stay focused on the issues that really matter. His pragmatic and practical advice keeps deals moving forward to close. Marc also represents the management stakeholders and senior executives of privately held companies in connection with strategic M&A transactions involving their companies.

In his many long-term client relationships, Marc is a loyal and trusted advisor who keeps his client’s long-term goals and ultimate legacy at the forefront. When selling their company, clients rely on his counsel to ensure a smooth path to closing, mitigate post-closing risks and negotiate transaction terms that protect client interests while balancing the operational and financial needs of the company to promote its long-term success.

“In my work, it is most rewarding to develop long-term relationships with clients who trust my advice in the strategic transactions that shape their future and preserve the legacy of the businesses they have built.”

 

 

Josh Rosenberg

Co-Founder & CEO, Day One Agency

Fresh thinking and innovation in the digital age: It’s what Josh infuses into every facet of Day One Agency’s business as CEO. Recognizing the need for an agency built for the next 10 years and 24 hours, Josh co-founded Day One in 2014 with the ambition to move the world by stopping it in its scroll with stories that earn a place in culture.

Under Josh’s leadership, Day One’s creativity and culture-first approach has attracted some of the world’s foremost brands including American Express, Beam Suntory, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Ferrara, Ferrero, Nike, Walmart among others. In 2022, Day One was awarded both PRovoke Media’s Digital Agency of the Year and Ad Age’s Social Media and Influencer Agency of the Year. Since its founding, Day One has consistently been recognized as one of the industry’s fastest growing agencies.

Prior to co-founding Day One, Josh spent 12 years at New York-based PR agency M Booth, where he established and led the award-winning digital practice, helping the agency and its clients transition into the digital world. Josh began his career in the New York office of Boston-based PR and marketing agency Cone, Inc.

A PRovoke Innovator 25 honoree, Josh’s industry accolades are extensive and include distinctions from Campaign Magazine, Ad Age, Adweek, PR Week, The One Show for Creativity, Webby’s, Digiday and the Shorty Awards among others.

Josh serves on the Board of Advisors to the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations and is a member of the PR Council’s Board of Directors. He graduated with a B.A. in communications from the University of Pennsylvania where he received the Walter Annenberg Award for Service.

Day One has 170 team members across creative hubs in NYC, LA, Chicago and Portland.

You can find Day One Agency at www.D1A.com.

Lisa Ross

President & Partner, rbb Communications

Lisa is a strategic marketer with more than 25 years’ experience in developing breakout brands. She co-founded rbb and serves as its Chief Growth Officer overseeing new client relationships and strategic alliances as well as the firm’s Hospitality Practice.

Lisa has counseled numerous consumer brands such as Allegro Resorts, Cleveland Clinic, Hilton, Virgin Voyages and Zumba Fitness on breakout strategies that led to increased brand loyalty, sales and market share. She connects complimentary and unlikely partners, and transforms smart, fresh ideas into award-winning campaigns which in turn has earned her the gratitude and friendship of many who are now long-term rbb clients and firm ambassadors.

Lisa believes in giving back and has been active in industry and business organizations. Recently, she completed her term as a board member of PROI, the largest global partnership of independent communications agencies and co-chair of its America’s Region, is former board chair of The Strategic Forum and a past board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami. She is a member of PRCouncil, WPO (Women Presidents Organization) and HSMAI (Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International) and has served on its Marketing Advisory Council and as a Platinum judge of its highly regarded Adrian Awards. She also received designation from the organization as one of Top 25 Minds in Hospitality Sales & Marketing.

Lisa‘s career success, creativity and entrepreneurialism have gained her recognition in Who’s Who in Communications; Enterprising Women’s Top 100 Female Executives and South Florida Business Journal’s Most Influential Business Women. She graduated from New York University with a bachelor's degree in English Literature and attended Columbia University’s Executive Education Leadership Program. She currently resides in Aventura, Florida and enjoys traveling, exercising, discovering new restaurants and wines with friends and especially spending time with her sons, Alec, 23, and Cameron, 21. 

David Sánchez Carmona

Director, APCO Worldwide

Brad J. Schwartzberg

Partner/Co-Chair Corporate + Transactions Practice Group, Davis+Gilbert LLP

Brad J. Schwartzberg is co-chair of the Corporate Practice Group of Davis+Gilbert LLP. Brad’s practice focuses primarily on mergers and acquisitions, minority and majority investments, commercial financings, and incentive compensation arrangements. He is a business-minded attorney who believes that understanding your operational and economic objectives as well as your legal posture is crucial to achieving the best outcome. 

Over the past 30 years, Brad has successfully closed hundreds of transactions (on both the buy and sell sides). He knows how to creatively solve problems and efficiently bring transactions over the finish line. Given the sheer volume of deals Brad has handled, there is rarely an issue he hasn’t seen.

Stakeholders, founders and chief executive officers regularly seek his counsel in developing their long-term goals. Whether the goal is to prepare for an ultimate sale or to facilitate growth through a strategic M&A initiative, Brad helps clients develop, implement and execute their M&A strategies.

Brad often says that “economics drive behavior,” and he is intimately familiar with earn-out and incentive-based arrangements. He draws on his strong mathematical background and understanding of market conditions to develop realistic pricing targets and deal structures that create value. Brad’s clients appreciate his ability to explain complicated deal terms in a straightforward and understandable manner.

Just as Brad helps companies achieve their M&A goals, he also helps employers attract and retain the best talent in a highly competitive landscape. He designs compensation arrangements that incentivize executives to increase productivity and reach revenue and profitability targets. He also counsels executives in negotiating compensation and departure packages.

Brad counts many international marketing communication, media and technology companies among his long-term clients. He possesses strong Japanese language skills that were gained while he was earning a master’s degree in Japanese from Sophia University in Japan.

Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld

Senior Associate Dean for Leadership Studies & Lester Crown Professor in the Practice of Management, Yale School of Management

Jeffrey Sonnenfeld served as full tenured professor at Emory's Goizueta Business School for a decade and a professor at the Harvard Business School for a decade, and is currently the senior associate dean of leadership programs as well as the Lester Crown Professor in the Practice of Management for the Yale School of Management, as well as founder and president of the Chief Executive Leadership Institute, a nonprofit educational and research institute focused on CEO leadership and corporate governance.

Professor Sonnenfeld's related research has been published in 100 scholarly articles which appeared in the leading academic journals in management such as Administrative Sciences Quarterly, the Academy of Management Journal, the Academy of Management Review, the Journal of Organizational Behavior, Social Forces, Human Relations, and Human Resource Management. He has also authored eight books, including The Hero's Farewell, an award-winning study of CEO succession, and another best seller, Firing Back, a study on leadership resilience in the face of adversity.

Professor Sonnenfeld earned the 2018 Ellis Island award from the US Ellis Island Foundation. He was Harvard’s first John Whitehead Faculty Fellow and won outstanding educator awards at Yale, Emory and the American Society for Training and Development. His work is regularly cited by the general media in such outlets as: BusinessWeek, Fortune, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Newsweek, Time, the Economist, the Financial Times, the Washington Post, CBS (60 Minutes), NBC (The Today Show), ABC (Nightline, Good Morning America), CNN, and Fox News, as well as PBS, where he is a regular commentator for FORTUNE and CNBC. BusinessWeek listed Sonnenfeld as one of the world’s 10 most influential business school professors and Directorship magazine has listed him among the 100 most influential figures in corporate governance. He is the first academician to have rung the opening bells of both the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Exchange.

Arun Sudhaman

CEO/Editor-in-Chief, Provoke Media

Arun Sudhaman is CEO and editor-in-chief at PRovoke Media.

In this role Arun oversees PRovoke Media's global content offering, including its analysis and insight into reputation, public relations and communications trends and issues. Since joining PRovoke Media in 2010, Arun has comprehensively redefined the title’s content platform, which includes its digital presence and new products such as the Influence 100 compendium of key global influencers, the Global PR Agency Rankings, the Global Creative Index, and the PRovoke Media podcast. He also led the rebrand of the Holmes Report to PRovoke Media in 2020.

Arun has also played a pivotal role expanding PRovoke Media's coverage into Asia-Pacific and other emerging markets, and has helped steer the company’s international events programme, particularly the Global Public Relations Summit — which has featured such luminaries as Sir Martin Sorrell, P&G’s Marc Pritchard, Chuck Porter and IBM’s Jon Iwata. 

He brings to the position more than a decade’s experience as a journalist and digital content specialist, most of which has been spent analysing the media, marketing and communications industries. His career has encompassed coverage and analysis of reputation and leadership issues in numerous countries across the world, including the US and UK, Russia, China, India and South Africa. 

Prior to joining the Holmes Report, Arun spent more than seven years with Haymarket Media in Hong Kong, Singapore and London. He joined Haymarket title PRWeek UK in January 2009, after covering Asia’s media and marketing landscape at sister Haymarket title Campaign Asia-Pacific in Hong Kong and Singapore. 

Before Haymarket, Arun spent one year at public relations firm Weber Shandwick during its tumultuous mergers with Weber and BSMG. During his career as a journalist he has appeared on BBC News and has also contributed to The Guardian and the South China Morning Post, where he began his career as a business reporter.

In 2015, Arun became the youngest-ever inductee into the ICCO Hall of Fame.

Johnny C. Taylor Jr.

President and CEO, SHRM

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, is President and CEO of SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management. With over 300,000 members in 165 countries, SHRM is the largest HR trade association in the world, impacting the lives of 115 million workers. A nationally bestselling author, Mr. Taylor is a sought-after voice on all matters affecting work. He is frequently asked to testify before Congress and authors the weekly USA Today column "Ask HR."

He is the author of RESET: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval.  Immediately upon its release in September 2021, RESET was in the top three of the Wall Street Journal’s list of best-selling hardcover business books. All author proceeds benefit the SHRM Foundation, which is committed to empowering HR as a social force for change.

He was appointed chairman of the President’s Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and served as a member of the White House American Workforce Policy Advisory Board during the Trump Administration. He is Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the University of Miami, Governor of the American Red Cross, and member of the corporate boards of Guild Education, iCIMS, and XPO Logistics (NYSE: XPO). 

Baratunde Thurston

TV host, creator of the ‘How To Citizen’ podcast, author of ‘How To Be Black’

 Baratunde Thurston is an Emmy-nominated, multi platform storyteller and producer operating at the intersection of race, tech, democracy, and climate. He is the host of the PBS television series America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston [pbs.org], creator and host of How To Citizen with Baratunde [baratunde.com] which Apple named one of its favorite podcasts of 2020, and a founding partner of the new media startup Puck [puck.news].

His comedic memoir, How To Be Black, is a New York Times best-seller. In 2019, he delivered what MSNBC’s Brian Williams called “one of the greatest TED talks of all time.” Baratunde is unique in his ability to integrate and synthesize themes of race, culture, politics, and technology to explain where our nation is and where we can take it. Baratunde serves on the boards of BUILD.org and the Brooklyn Public Library and lives in Los Angeles, California.

Richard Tsang

Chairman, SPRG

Richard Tsang founded Strategic Public Relations Group (“SPRG”) in 1995. Through his guidance and foresight, SPRG is today among the largest integrated PR networks in Asia Pacific and the largest PR consultancy in Hong Kong.

Richard is also heavily involved in the PR industry, as well as community services, holding over 80 board, committee and advisory positions in over 40 business, religious, education, government and non-governmental organisations. In 2016, Richard was named Global Chairman of PROI Worldwide – the world’s largest and leading partnership of independent integrated communications agencies, thus becoming the first Asian to hold such a position since the organisation was founded in 1970.

He is also the Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Institute of Directors (HKIoD); President of Enterprise Asia; Member of the Advisory Council on Food and Environmental Hygiene; Member of the Steering Committee on Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases; Member of Telecommunications Users and Consumers Advisory Committee (TUCAC), Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA); Honorary Adviser of Financial Reporting Council (FRC); Trustee of Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong; and Council Member of UNICEF Hong Kong. In China, Richard is the Permanent Vice Board Chairman, “China Business Update”, China Shippers’ Association of Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China; Vice Board Chairman, Council of “World Market”, Shanghai Foreign Economic Relations & Trade Commission; and Special Researcher at China International Economic Development Research Centre.

Richard is a true philanthropist as well, as reflected by the establishment of Strategic CSR Network Limited in late 2014, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to linking different parties, including corporations, NGOs/charities and volunteers together to help underprivileged communities in Hong Kong.

A graduate of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Richard majored in Journalism and Communication. As an avid supporter of education, he has been a part-time lecturer at the School of Journalism and Communication, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, since 1994, covering such subjects as Financial Public Relations and Investor Relations, which are part of the undergraduate and master degree curriculums. He is also an Adjunct Professor at The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong and an advisor to the communication schools of four universities. Richard is also the co-author of Public Relations Theory, published by Commercial Press Hong Kong Limited.

Megan Wallach

Vice President, Shamrock Capital Advisors

Megan is a Vice President at Shamrock Capital. She serves as a director of Highwire and Excel Sports Management. Previously she served on the board of Pixellot. Additionally, Megan helps analyze new investment opportunities. She previously worked on FanDuel, Silvergate Media, Questex, and Giant Creative Strategy. Prior to joining Shamrock in 2014, Megan was a member of the Financial Sponsors Investment Banking group at Barclays Capital.

Megan graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School.

Dan Webber

President, Washington D.C., Edelman

Dan Webber is the President of Edelman’s Washington D.C. office where he leads a community of about 400 professionals that help clients proactively tell their stories and navigate challenges around the world. In this role, Dan leads an integrated team of communications experts, including corporate, brand, public affairs, financial services, health, technology, energy, digital, public sector, creative and research subject matter experts in one of the largest hubs in Edelman’s global network. Dan specializes in helping clients prepare for, navigate, and overcome critical areas of risk, issues, and crises. During the past 18 years at Edelman, Dan has worked with many different organizations to provide counsel and support related to reputation issues and crisis response. This includes activating rapid response incident response teams, developing training and simulations for several Fortune 500 companies, and standing up ad hoc triage teams for brand new clients that call with an incident with minimal planning or governance in place. Prior to his role as Regional President, Dan served in other senior leadership roles as Managing Director of the office, General Manager of the Corporate and Advisory team, and General Manager of Edelman DC’s Digital Team. 

Mark Weiner

Chief Insights Officer, PublicRelay

Mark Weiner is a data-informed strategic communications advisor who provides clients with analytics, analysis, insights, and guidance to enhance the return on their communications investments. Public Relay is a communications analytics and advisory firm which combines talent with technology to deliver actionable insights and strategic guidance.

Mark received the 2018 Jack Felton Medal for Lifetime Achievement from the Institute for Public Relations (IPR) for whom he serves as a board member.

Mark is a member of the Page Society and serves on the Advisory Board at the University of Florida’s School of Public Relations.  

Mark is one of the world’s leading experts on topics related to public relations research, measurement, and evaluation. His new book, “Public Relations Technology, Data and Insights: Igniting your Communications Return on Investment,” was published by Kogan Page 2021 and was named among the top ten “Best New PR Books to Read in 2022.” PRovoke Global Summit attendees can take advance of the Provoke Discount Code (code: KoganPage20 ) to secure a 20% discount on book purchases. Mark is also one of the only authors to place two books in the top 40 of bookauthority.org’s list of “The 100 Best PR Books of All Time.”

Voal Voal Wong

Managing Partner, IN.FOM

James Wright

Global Chairman, Havas PR Global Collective, CEO of Red Havas Group

James Wright is one of the most recognized agency heads in the world, and today serves as global chairman of the Havas PR Global Collective and CEO of Red Havas Group, a global Merged Media agency network within the Havas Group. He has advised brands including AWS, Capgemini, Coca-Cola, Heineken, Jaguar Land Rover, ManpowerGroup, Mondelez, Novartis, Toyota and the UK And Australian governments. James has won numerous awards, including PR Asia 2017 Agency Head of Year, PR Awards Asia 2017 Asia-Pacific PR Agency Head of the Year, PRCA’s 2008 Consultant of the Year (at age 28), and PR News USA 2008 International CSR Leader. In 2016, he was inducted as a Fellow of the Public Relations Institute of Australia, one of the youngest ever admitted.