Global Initiative

Richard Linning is the founding president of the World Innovation and Change Management Institute. A retired public affairs counsellor with global work experience, Linning is currently a board member of IRMI, an NGO working in the spheres of mass media, democratization, and reconciliation in Ukraine. A Past President and Fellow of the International Public Relations Association, and President of CERP (Confederation Européenne des Relations Publiques), he is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, UK. Furthermore, Linning was an Associate of the UN Network of University Communication Chairs, ORBICOM. Linning is the recipient of an Honorary Fellowship of the Senate of the University of Bucharest in recognition of his contribution to the promotion of the free flow of information as a key component of the functioning of a democratic society. Australian by birth and a dual British national, he now resides with his wife, Jacqueline, in rural Lincolnshire, England, along with their three cats: Caesar, Cleo, and Nero.

Danijel Koletić is a multiple award-winner and the first president of PRCA Southeast Europe. Koletić has been connecting the public relations profession for 23 years through the PRO PR conference. He is the founder of the only award in the world for which nominations are made by the winners of four global associations. Koletić started his career in 1991 as an executive producer and served as the first director of the London School of Public Relations in Croatia. Today, he consults in the field of strategic communication globally. Under the motto "less is more," his agency focuses on quality; he serves as a lead consultant for Harvard Medical School for Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. His portfolio includes crisis management cases for Pfizer, Bayer, and Telemach. His success is based on a clear vision, passion, and strategic risk planning.

Andras Sztaniszlav started his career as a journalist, later worked for Government Services as a Communications Officer, and subsequently became a strategic communications advisor. Sztaniszlav’s consultancy service, PersonaR Communication Advisory Ltd, has been active in the market since 2005. Over the years, he has advised clients from the corporate and not-for-profit sectors, as well as startups and company leaders. He also owns a small digital marketing agency operating in London and Budapest. Sztaniszlav is a Chartered PR Practitioner, a Fellow of the CIPR, and President of the Hungarian PR Association. He was recognized with a PRO PR Global Award in 2018 and was appointed as the Interim CEO for ICCO on January 1, 2024. As a consultant, he mostly works with in-house communications teams, agencies, and project teams on organizational development, strategic planning, stakeholder management, and the creation of organizational narratives.

Daniel Silberhorn, based in Frankfurt, Germany, is a passionate sustainability and communications professional with a global perspective across cultures, committed to making a positive impact. Consulting for leading national and international companies in strategic communications, ESG, and sustainability transformation for 18 years, Silberhorn has served on the International Public Relations Association’s (IPRA) board since 2021. He has a keen interest in the role of business as a corporate citizen in society, as well as the possibilities and responsibilities of the PR industry as a positive catalyst for sustainability transformation. As the founder and chair of IPRA’s climate change chapter, he helped develop IPRA’s climate change communications guidelines in 2022. These guidelines have since been adopted by national PR associations worldwide, providing a basis for orientation for practitioners globally. Silberhorn also teaches sustainability and communication at universities across Europe.

Jacqueline Purcell holds postgraduate degrees in Education and Research. Purcell is an IPRA Board Member and UK and Ireland Chapter Chair, a Golden World Awards Judge, an International Leadership Consultant, and a Specialist Curriculum Designer. She also serves as the CEO of Jasper Alliance London. Purcell is a keynote speaker, a multi-award-winning high-performance educator, a specialist trainer, and an author who builds capacity for leadership confidence, behavior change, and organizational development. She is committed to the Commonwealth Charter, United Nations SDGs, and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. As a licensed facilitator and consultant, she has international experience working with Heads of State and United Nations Agencies on global projects across various sectors. For establishing the first Toastmasters International public speaking academies in Iraq, Purcell received a British Expertise Award for Outstanding International Leadership in 2015, followed by an IPRA Golden World Award for the same project in 2021. A Distinguished Toastmaster and President of Grosvenor Square Speakers in London, she led the club to achieve the Presidents’ Distinguished Award for the first time in its 31-year history. Purcell was honored with the PRO PR Globe Award in 2021. This award recognizes individuals who contribute to a better perception and positioning of the public relations profession at the local, national, and global levels. She is an accomplished problem solver who encourages improvement through storytelling and case studies.

Sergio Vazzoler is the Co-founder of Amapola Società Benefit and a specialist in corporate, environmental, and sustainability communication. A professional member of FERPi (Italian Federation of Public Relations) since 2001, Vazzoler is currently the coordinator of the national commission on responsible communication (18th Goal, Agenda 2030). He is the editor, together with Stefano Martello, of several publications, including “Where the facts do not arrive” (2024) and the “White Paper on Environmental Communication” (2020). Vazzoler is one of the creators of the Forum on Good Communication, an event dedicated to responsible communication and sustainability. Already active in journalism and PR during his university years, his professional career began in 1998 at “Red Hot Peppers.” In 2000, he joined “MR & Associati Comunicazione,” specializing in corporate and political communication, becoming a partner in 2005. In 2011, Vazzoler joined Amapola, a Benefit Company specializing in sustainability communication. He is now a partner and director at the firm and was awarded the “Inspiring PR” award in 2022 for his project on the Circular Economy.

Aslıhan Güven is the Corporate Communications Director of Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport and a media professional with extensive experience in global public relations, growth-oriented marketing, and public diplomacy. Previously, Güven helped launch Turkey’s first English-language international news platform, TRT World, in 2015. She held various operational and managerial roles within the network during her seven years with the company. She has also served at both Turkish and Malaysian diplomatic missions, acting as a bridge between the two countries to ensure communication and cooperation. Güven earned her B.A. and M.A. in Communication from the International Islamic University, Malaysia. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Marmara University, focusing on public relations in foreign policy.

Dr. Ajit Pathak has been the National President of the Public Relations Society of India for the past 16 years. Pathak is a former Board Member of the International Public Relations Association and was the first Asian to serve as the Secretary of the Global Alliance of Public Relations and Communication Management. He previously served as General Manager (Corporate Communications, Administration, Welfare & CSR) with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. A postgraduate in Law and Public Administration, Pathak was the first Indian to achieve a Doctorate in Public Relations. He has 37 years of experience in mass communication as a cartoonist, feature writer, and PR practitioner. Pathak possesses valuable experience within the Fortune Global 500 company Indian Oil Corporation, specifically in the areas of branding, image building, and community welfare.

Mary Beth West, FPRCA, serves as a senior strategist for U.S.-based Fletcher Marketing PR. In this role, West delivers competitive impact for organizations through strategic management and relationship-building, helping executive teams build credible, trust-driven reputations with mission-critical stakeholders. A past PRO PR GLOBE Award recipient, West’s commentary has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, and PRWeek. For two consecutive years, she has been listed by Commetric as one of the world’s top influencers on the topic of public relations measurement. In recent years, West has built an international reputation for change-agentry, particularly regarding business ethics and the inclusion of women and professionals of color in executive leadership. She is the signature donor to the Ethics & Compliance Initiative’s ESG-focused Business Integrity Library.

Massimo Castellano began his career in the tourism sector before transitioning to the Alitalia Group. In that role, Castellano focused on air navigation regulation, institutional relations, and territorial marketing. After holding several managerial positions, he left the company to lead business development initiatives for organizations such as MSC Crociere and the Consulta Handling Group. As the founder of several non-profit organizations, Castellano has managed strategic projects supported by the European Union and UNEP. Through these experiences, he has realized large-scale public events and communication campaigns concerning the blue economy and sustainable tourism. He also co-created the international Blue Planet Economy Expo Forum in cooperation with Fiera Roma.

Dana Oancea, Ph.D., is the President of the Forum for International Communications, a Romanian foundation that has organized the Romanian PR Award since 2003. With over 20 years of experience, Oancea blends her professional work in communications with research interests in PR ethics and lobbying. She earned her Ph.D. from Ludwig-Maximilian-Universität in Munich. Oancea has authored hundreds of articles as the editor-in-chief for PR Romania, a portal she established in 2009. In 2017, she coordinated the editing of “The Golden Book of Romanian Public Relations.” Furthermore, she is a co-founding member of the Romanian Diversity Charter.