CIPR Engage Podcast

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

Joining Stuart for this discussion are:

Helen Crumley, communications leader with 25 years’ experience across the public, health and not-for-profit sectors

Ruth Rosselson, Resilience Co-ordinator at Manchester Mind

Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe, strategic corporate communications leader in the public sector and EDI Champion for CIPR North West

Drawing on their own experience, the guests explain how symptoms can begin years before periods stop and go well beyond hot flushes, from poor sleep and anxiety to heart palpitations and forgetfulness. They talk about the support they found through their GP, HRT, mindfulness and peer groups, and why some women cut their hours or leave work altogether. The panel close with what good workplace support looks like. That includes reasonable adjustments tailored to the individual, line managers who start with a conversation, and treating menopause like any other inclusion need.

In this episode of Engage, host Katherine Sykes Chart.PR, FCIPR, Founder and Co-Chair of the CIPR's Crisis Communications Network, makes the case for crisis communication as a board-level priority.

The conversation centres on Crisis Communication for Boards, the Network's new handbook published in association with the Institute of Directors. Katherine is its editor-in-chief and lead author. The panel works through the crisis lifecycle, from horizon scanning to learning after a crisis. They then discuss AI as a core governance risk, the skills communicators need to earn their seat in the boardroom, and the material costs of getting a crisis wrong.

Joining Katherine for this discussion are:

Dr Jon White Chart.PR, Hon FCIPR, independent practitioner and consultant to public, private and not-for-profit organisations, and chief assessor for the CIPR's Chartership programme

Kerry Knight Chart.PR, strategic communications advisor specialising in crisis preparedness, reputation management and AI governance, and author of the handbook's chapters on AI

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Crisis Communication for Boards: A Handbook for Good Governance from the CIPR Crisis Communications Network and the Institute of Directors

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 the CIPCR.

In this episode of Engage, host Miriam Brown, founder of Mulberry Brown Communications, gets under the bonnet of what makes an effective communications campaign.

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

Resources mentioned in this episode:

The OASIS campaign planning framework

The PESO model

The GCS Evaluation Framework

The Barcelona Principles

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.

In this episode of Engage, host Abha Thakor, journalist, Chartered PR Practitioner, and CIPR Fellow, examines ageism in the public relations profession and the experiences practitioners face in the workplace.

Abha is joined by Jenny Manchester, author of the 2025 CIPR-funded report "An age-old problem: What can we do to tackle ageism in PR?", and Avril Lee, CIPR Honorary Fellow, independent communications consultant and Chair of the CIPR's Diversity and Inclusion Network and the Taylor Bennett Foundation.

Drawing on the findings from Jenny's research, their conversation examines how age shapes assumptions about creativity, the lack of visibility of older professionals, and the recruitment practices that ask candidates to hide their experience. The discussion also considers why the PR industry skews so much younger than the wider workforce, the intersection of ageism with gender and race, and the practical steps employers can take to build a more age-friendly workplace culture.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

The CIPR-funded report An age-old problem: What can we do to tackle ageism in PR?

Centre for Ageing Better's Age-Friendly Culture Toolkit and Age-friendly Employer Pledge

Find out more about the CIPR's Diversity and Inclusion Network

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.

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.