CIPR Engage Podcast

In this episode of Engage, host Steve Bryant, Co-Chair of the CIPR Podcast Editorial Board, interviews speakers and attendees from the CIPR's 2025 Annual Conference - Leadership and Impact.

Recorded backstage at the conference itself, the episode brings the substance of the day's mainstage sessions to listeners who couldn't be in the room, with each speaker reflecting on the insights they shared, the challenges they put to the audience, and how their thinking applies to the day-to-day realities of modern communications leadership.

Featuring interviews with:

01:45 - James Peach, multi-award-winning global marketing leader behind Uber, Coca-Cola, Vinted, and Innocent, discusses how modern leadership must evolve to support intergenerational workforces and embrace the unknown.

08:06 - Lucy Holliday, Head of Internal Communications at the Financial Times, discusses the FT's award-winning AI transformation programme

10:15 - Josephine Hansom, who recently represented young people at the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee, explores building empathy across generations and the shifting meaning of purpose at work.

14:54 - Naomi Goodman, MHP Group, explains how communicators can step into their role as change leaders and lead teams from chaos to calm.

19:35 - Sarah Naylor, Co-Chair of CIPR's Independent Practitioners Network, and Ben Veal, Founder of Second Mountain Comms, discuss the opportunities and ethical considerations of independent practice in the age of AI.

27:10 - Dr Jack Lewis, neuroscientist, addresses the impact of technology on the brain and why critical thinking remains the most important human skill.

36:03 - Karen Blackett CBE shares the foundations of effective leadership drawn from a 33-year career, and why empathy and adaptability matter more than ever.

39:27 - 2025 CIPR President Advita Patel, 2026 CIPR President Farzana Baduel, and 2026 CIPR President-Elect Dan Gerrella round off the episode with their reflections on the conference.

Share your thoughts about the topics discussed in this episode on LinkedIn using #CIPREngage and tagging @CIPR_Global.

If you're a member of the CIPR, you can log 5 CPD points for listening to this episode.

In this episode of Engage, host Ben Verinder, managing director of Chalkstream, explores a critical question for every PR professional: how can we help organisations make better decisions? Joined by Dr Jon White, consultant in public relations and organisational development, and Shayoni Lynn, CEO and founder of behavioural science communications consultancy, Lynn Group, the conversation examines the biases that undermine even experienced leaders and the unique role communications professionals can play in challenging flawed thinking.

 

From Apple's decade-long Project Titan initiative to groupthink in the 2008 financial crisis, the panel discuss how cognitive shortcuts often lead to costly mistakes. The conversation also tackles contemporary challenges facing the profession, including bias in AI systems, the ethics of applying behavioural science in communications, and issues of ageism within PR itself.

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

CIPR's Behavioural Science training collection

Government Communication Service - Guidance

Lynn Global's library of articles, updates, and case studies on using behavioural science to improve lives

 

CIPR members can earn 5 CPD points for listening to an episode of Engage.

Share your thoughts about this episode and your experiences on LinkedIn using #CIPREngage and tagging @CIPR_Global

This conversation examines the pathways to director and non-executive director roles for PR professionals, the unique perspective communications experts bringing to board-level decision making, and practical advice for practitioners considering this career progression.

Hosted by Ann-Marie Blake FCIPR, Co-Founder of True Comms, this episode investigates key aspects of board participation including the differences between trustee and non-executive director positions, how effective boards operate, managing time commitments, and overcoming imposter syndrome when transitioning to leadership roles.

Joining Ann-Marie for this discussion are:

·         Noha Al Afifi MCIPR, CIPR Board member, Deputy Chief Executive of Arthritis Action

·         Stephen Waddington Found. Chart. PR, Hon FCIPR, Founder of Wadds Inc

 

Share your thoughts on the topics discussed in this episode on LinkedIn, using #CIPREngage and tagging @CIPR_Global.

If you're a member of the CIPR, you can log 5 CPD points for listening to this episode.

In this episode of Engage, Melissa Fleming (UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications) leads a thought-provoking exploration into the complex debate around misinformation with guests Dr. Leon Hawthorne (former CNN, CNBC and BBC broadcaster) and Tom Southern (Director of Special Projects at the Center for Information Resilience) offering contrasting views on its impact and scale.

 

From social media monetisation to the challenges facing traditional media in adapting to digital spaces, our guests examine how technological change has transformed our information landscape. Their discussion spans critical issues including platform responsibility, institutional trust in polarised environments, and what role communications and PR professionals might play in fostering healthier information ecosystems.

 

Further resources:

 Training: Disinformation, Misinformation & Malinformation

 CIPR Influencing the Future conference: Deepfakes and the age of synthetic media

 Webinar: Misinformation

From missing flights to Novichok poisonings, in this episode of Engage crisis comms specialists Rod Cartwright and Sarah Thomas share their real-world experiences of navigating risk and preparing for crises with host, Charlotte West.

 

Exploring the most common threats and opportunities facing organisational reputation today, Sarah and Rod also discuss the role of leadership and culture in a crisis, as well as the skills needed by comms and PR teams to future-proof the industry.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Join the CIPR’s crisis comms network

Guidance on drafting a Crisis communications plan

Crisis communication on demand training

Download or read a summary of the 2024 Reputation, Risk and Resilience report

CIPR members can earn 5 CPD points for listening to an episode of Engage.

Share your thoughts about this episode and your experiences on LinkedIn using #CIPREngage and tagging @CIPR_Global