News Desk
DUBAI: CIPR International elected a new committee of diverse and passionate professionals at its AGM held on 29 October. Taazima Kala was elected as Chair, with Saad Al Rubaiaan as Vice Chair. Nishika Bajaj was re-elected as Secretary, and Stuart Graham continues as Treasurer. The role of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Champion has been expanded to include two individuals, Anjali Patil and Nooralhuda Nader Aljlas, further enriching the committee’s diversity.
Speaking after the AGM, Taazima Kala, the newly elected Chair for 2025, said, “It is a great privilege to be elected as Chair of the CIPR International Committee for 2025. My heartfelt congratulations go to our newly elected officers and committee members, and my sincere gratitude to our outgoing Chair, Samantha Seewoosurrun, for her outstanding leadership over the past three years. As one of the largest sectoral groups within CIPR, with over 1,000 members as of 2023, CIPR International continues to expand globally, adding invaluable diversity, passion, and expertise to our community. We remain dedicated to supporting our members by fostering cultural understanding, building international connections, and promoting knowledge sharing through initiatives like webinars. Notably, the recent introduction of a monthly card payment option for overseas members—a key milestone championed by Samantha—makes CIPR membership more accessible than ever. I look forward to an impactful year ahead as we continue to grow and support our global network.”
Outgoing Chair Samantha Seewoosurrun, who has led the committee from 2022 to 2024, reflected on her term, “It has been a tremendous honour to serve as Chair of the CIPR International Committee over the past three years. Reflecting on my tenure, I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together, from expanding our global reach to enhancing our support for members across continents. I am grateful to our dedicated committee members whose passion and commitment have been the driving force behind our progress. I warmly thank all of our committee members for their time, ideas, energy, and dedication over the past year, as well as for their personal support throughout my term.I would like to congratulate Taazima, Saad and Nishika on their election, as an outstanding team of international PR professionals bringing a range of perspectives from Africa, the Middle East and India, who will surely lead our committee from strength to strength in the future.”
Newly elected Vice Chair Saad Al Rubaiaan also expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming year, commenting, “I am honoured to step into the role of Vice Chair for the CIPR International Committee and look forward to a transformative year ahead. Building on the solid foundation laid by our predecessors, we will work tirelessly to foster deeper connections within our global community. Our focus will be on amplifying the voices and contributions of our diverse membership, delivering tangible value through increased engagement and knowledge-sharing opportunities, and advancing the role of PR on the international stage.I am particularly excited about the election of our two EDI Champions, which underscores our unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at the international level.”
CIPR International is one of the largest sectoral groups of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations the world’s only Royal Chartered professional body for public relations practitioners, with nearly 11,000 members. The International Committee is united in its mission to make a positive impact on the industry and to expand the global reach of PR and supporting members by fostering cultural understanding, building international relationships, and providing platforms for benchmarking and learning from best practices. The 2025 CIPR International Committee comprises:
- Chair: Taazima Kala
- Vice Chair: Saad Al Rubaiaan
- Secretary: Nishika Bajaj
- Treasurer: Stuart Graham
- EDI Champions: Anjali Patil and Nooralhuda Nader Aljlas
- Committee Members: Samantha Seewoosurrun, Eva Maclaine, Andras Sztaniszlav, Anne Gregory, Omotola Akindipe, Alessandra Pilchero, Samuel Osei, Steven Smith, Klao Bell-Lewis, Claire Benson, Ferdinand Bondoy, Stuart Bruce, Olayinka Elizabeth Edmond, Thanzyl Thajudeen, Jared Meade, Oluwayemisi Adekunle, and Gavrielle Kirk-Cohen.
