Chairman of Burson-Marsteller Africa to lead Maggie Nally lecture

Robyn De Villiers, CEO and chairman of Burson-Marsteller, Africa, is to give this year’s Maggie Nally Memorial Lecture keynote address, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) has announced.

Robyn De Villiers

The annual Maggie Nally lecture was set-up to commemorate the CIPR’s first female president and is held in the House of Commons.

“Out of Africa: an Insider’s Perspective”, the title of De Villiers’ address,  will draw from her experience of the changing landscape of communication in Africa and the development of the PR industry across the continent.  It will offer insight and advice to those who wish to engage with the diverse markets and cultures of the continent.

De Villiers has been engaged in PR and corporate communications both in South Africa and across the continent for over 25 years. Through Burson-Marsteller Africa, the network of consultancies she founded, the group provides clients with communications services in over 50 African markets.

She said: “Africa is an extremely diverse region with different cultures, and is at different stages of development in terms of communication and PR.  I am delighted to be speaking at this prestigious event and hope my lecture will be useful in increasing PR practitioners’ knowledge and understanding of the continent and the issues faced by the industry.”

Shirley Collyer, chair of CIPR International, added: “Africa is a fascinating continent and Robyn’s wide experience in the PR industry across the continent will provide valuable insight into communicating with diverse markets.  CIPR International is all about breaking down barriers between people, countries and cultures. This lecture will be an important milestone in our programme.”

Lord Bilimoria, the founder of Cobra Beer and the UK India Business Council, was the keynote speaker at last year’s Maggie Nally Memorial Lecture.

The event will take place on May 4 2017. For details and ticket purchases, go to: http://bit.ly/2luraiJ.

 

Related Posts
Opinion: How challenger agencies can compete with the big agency networks
Barbara Bates, global CEO at Hotwire, highlights the key areas where challenger agencies can go the extra mile to compete with their larger counterparts. For a long time in [...]
60 Seconds with The Academy co-founder Mitch Kaye
60 Seconds with The Academy co-founder Mitch Kaye
Mitch Kaye, co-founder of The Academy, reveals why he and Dan Glover started their second agency, how the pair work together and his love of AFC Bournemouth. What made you [...]
Discover how PR can move from evolution to revolution
At CommsCon earlier this month, we heard a range of fantastic speakers articulate their view of what comms professionals can do to improve their output. They encouraged their [...]
Brendon Craigie Tyto PR
Opinion: Why “PR” is having a renaissance
Brendon Craigie, co-founder and managing partner at Tyto PR, examines why PR professionals are once again adopting the PR moniker. The public relations industry is in the [...]