The founding director of an independent PR consultancy that specialises in supporting purpose-driven companies and charities has been elected to serve on the Council of the world’s only Royal Chartered professional body for public relations professionals.
Chartered PR practitioner Ben Veal, founder of Second Mountain Comms and current Chair of the CIPR’s South West regional committee, has been elected to serve on the CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations) Council for 2023-24.
The CIPR Council plays a significant role in driving the Institute forward and defining its long-term strategy. The Council is a key body of established practitioners, elected by CIPR members to represent their views and ensure that the CIPR is managed in their interests.
The new Council members will take their seats at the start of 2023 - the CIPR’s 75th anniversary year - and will explore issues such as diversity and representation across the profession in the UK, training and development initiatives to meet the needs of global practitioners, and the future PR trends that the CIPR should engage with to meet the needs of newer practitioners.
Ben Veal, founder of Second Mountain Comms, says:
“Being elected to the CIPR 2023-24 Council is a significant professional honour. The CIPR plays an integral role in maintaining the highest possible standards of ethics, integrity and professionalism across the PR industry globally, ensuring that today’s communications professionals receive the training, guidance and opportunities necessary to successfully meet the challenges of tomorrow. I look forward to working closely alongside 2023 President Steve Shepperson-Smith, 2024 President-Elect Rachael Clamp and my fellow Council Members over the next two years.”
Alastair McCapra, Chief Executive of the CIPR, comments:
“The CIPR’s Council plays an important role in advising the Board on the direction of the Institute. This will be particularly important in the next two years as we celebrate our 75th anniversary while supporting members personally and professionally in a challenging economic climate. At a time when the role of public relations and communications has never been more important or valued, we’re delighted to have Ben representing the CIPR. His experience as an independent consultant and business owner will be invaluable to our work and members.”
A seasoned and ethical PR professional with over fifteen years’ communications experience, Ben Veal closely adheres to the CIPR’s code of conduct and focuses primarily on supporting purpose-driven firms and business leaders as a specialist senior consultant. Ben received the ‘Mark of Excellence’ at the CIPR’s national Excellence Awards earlier in 2022, and was named ‘Independent PR Practitioner of the Year’ at the 2021 CIPR PRide Awards for the South of England and Channel Islands.
To find out more about the work of the CIPR, visit: cipr.co.uk.
The full list of elected CIPR Council members for 2023-24 can be found here.