AI for PR Conference 2026

Farzana Baduel is President of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and CEO of Curzon PR, a strategic communications consultancy advising governments, global corporations and institutions on strategy, reputation and leadership communications. She is the Resident PR Expert at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, a Chartered PR Practitioner and an Honorary Fellow of the CIPR. Her board roles include serving as a trustee of The HALO Trust and Soho Theatre, and as a member of the English Law Promotion Panel chaired by the UK Deputy Prime Minister.

Farzana co-hosts the Stories & Strategies podcast, a leading PR podcast.

Richard Bagnall is a globally recognised expert in public relations and communications measurement, planning and research, with over 30 years’ experience leading several of the sector’s most respected media intelligence and evaluation firms. He now applies this experience at CommsClarity Consulting, which he co-founded with Paul Hender to support agencies, in-house teams and media intelligence firms with strategy, best practice evaluation, insight generation and business scaling.

Jonny Bentwood is Global President of Data & Analytics at Golin, leading 120 data scientists to provide outcome-based measurement and insights, including pioneering approaches to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to help brands maximise visibility across AI platforms.

An executive board member, Jonny has transformed PR measurement. His team has won AMEC Communications Research & Measurement Team for the past seven consecutive years, alongside Gold Cannes Lions for Creative Effectiveness, Grands Prix Platinum for Measurement, and the Sabre Platinum Measurement Award. He was named to PR Week’s Dashboard 25 (2023) and PRovoke EMEA Innovator of the Year (2019).

Andrew Bruce Smith is a well-known expert in artificial intelligence and its applications in PR and communications. With a foundational education in Philosophy and Mathematical Logic from the University of Edinburgh (1981-1985), he developed a keen interest in AI early in his career. Andrew further honed his skills in AI programming languages in the late 1980s, a time when AI was still in its infancy. Pioneering the adoption of AI tools in the early 2010s, Andrew has consistently stayed at the forefront of technological innovation. This, coupled with his leadership as the Chair of the CIPR’s AI in PR panel, makes him a much sought-after consultant, commentator and conference speaker on the application and impact of AI on PR and communications.

Gay Flashman is a communications strategist and founder of Formative, a global digital comms and content agency working with the world’s leading b2b brands. Gay is an experienced consultant, coach and advisor supporting organisations to re-shape teams and support staff as AI impacts all aspects of work, collaboration and creativity. Gay is the author of marketing book, Powerful B2B Content, and brings to her work the editorial discipline and storytelling expertise developed during her career as a programme editor and senior executive at ITN, the ABC in Australia and the BBC.

Dr Anne Gregory is emeritus professor of corporate communication at Huddersfield Business School and founding director of Practix Ltd. Her specialisms are strategic communication, capability development, ethics, evaluation and the impact of AI. Anne is a past president of the CIPR, past chair of the Global Alliance and holds the 2024 AMEC Don Bartholomew, EUPRERA Distinguished Scholar Awards and in 2025, an honorary doctorate from the Pontifical University Santa Croce in Rome. She is a keynote speaker around the world, including at the World Public Relations Forum in Bali and an Adjunct and Visiting Professor at Universities in Africa, Asia, Australasia Europe and Scandinavia.

With a background in Physics, Paul Hender has brought a scientific approach to communications for over three decades. He has held senior leadership roles at some of the world’s most respected media intelligence businesses and has been a board member of AMEC, the International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication, where he has played a significant role in developing industry best practice such as the Barcelona Principles and Integrated Evaluation Framework. Paul is the course leader for the AMEC Diploma in Strategic Planning Communication Planning and Measurement and has provided expert consultancy to many of the world’s largest and most recognised brands, helping clients and media intelligence businesses win more than 100 industry awards.

Will Julian‑Vicary is Chief Technology Officer at Clarity, responsible for the agency’s technology roadmap, AI strategy, and the ecosystem of vendor and partner relationships that power its work. He leads the development of proprietary AI solutions that augment the creativity and productivity of Clarity’s teams, and he oversees evaluation, selection, and ongoing governance of AI partners to ensure performance, security, and responsible use. Prior to becoming CTO in 2024, Will co-founded and led 3WhiteHats as Technical Director from 2010 to 2021 before its acquisition by Clarity. A full‑stack engineer since 2003, he brings hands‑on product and data experience to vendor strategy, helping balance build‑versus‑buy decisions and integrate AI into real‑world PR and marketing workflows. Will is passionate about AI that empowers people and delivers measurable client impact.

Tom Kirkup is head of communications at South Norfolk and Broadland District Councils, where he leads marketing, communications and digital engagement across two local authorities. He has introduced and embedded the use of AI tools within communications and marketing teams, developing practical approaches to governance, skills development and responsible adoption in a public sector environment.

Tom previously held senior communications and innovation roles in national and international facilities management organisations. He holds an MBA from Cranfield School of Management and has completed executive study in artificial intelligence at Oxford Saïd Business School. His work focuses on helping organisations apply emerging technology in practical, people-centred ways that improve services while maintaining public trust.

Sam founded data storytelling consultancy Insight Agents in 2013 to empower all sorts of organisations to make smarter use of data. He is the author of the ‘Using Data Better’ trilogy of books published by Routledge, comprising: 2023’s critically-acclaimed Asking Smarter Questions, 2020’s best-seller, How To Be Insightful, and 2018’s award-winning Narrative by Numbers. His popular training courses based on the IP in these books is delivered both in person and in the online training course, Using Data Smarter. Sam is the host of ‘Data Malarkey’, a podcast about using data smarter, and is a Fellow of the Market Research Society, the Royal Society of Arts and the Professional Speaking Association.

Martin MacConnol is founder and CEO of Wardour, a multi‑award‑winning agency that helps serious brands turn complex ideas into compelling stories. A former Financial Times journalist, he now leads a team of strategists, designers and editors delivering brand, employer brand and go-to-market programmes for FTSE‑level organisations. Martin advises senior leaders on how generative AI can augment editorial judgement, accelerate content production and deliver authenticity.

Pete Markey is an award-winning marketer who has spearheaded growth at several leading household brands, including Boots, TSB, Aviva and the Post Office.

At Boots, he delivered 17 consecutive quarters of growth, record brand health, and over three million new Advantage Card customers. Most recently, he’s been developing a portfolio career working with agencies including Fusion Unlimited on their growth strategy and Boldspace on their AI proposition. He’s also been working on an exciting new brand launch for 2026 with celebrities Ben Shephard and Joel Dommett.

Pete has won five “Marketer of the Year” awards and three diversity ally awards. He is a Fellow of the Marketing Society, the Marketing Academy, and the Chartered Institute of Marketing. He also holds an Honorary Doctorate in Business for his contribution to business and DE&I, and mentors emerging talent through The Marketing Academy, The Marketing Society, and the School of Marketing.

Antony Mayfield is CEO and Co-Founder of Brilliant Noise, a consultancy helping global organisations adapt to digital transformation and artificial intelligence. He began his career in public relations, spending a decade in agency roles, latterly as a director at Bell Pottinger Group. Today he advises leaders on strategy, capability and organisational change, combining systems thinking with practical experimentation. Antony writes Antonym, a newsletter exploring how humans and machines think, create and decide. A regular speaker and commentator on AI, leadership and communication, he is known for his evidence-led, critical approach to technological change. Based in Brighton, he has spent more than twenty years working where technology, culture and communications meet.

Serena Mitchell, MCIPR, is a senior communications and public relations professional with over 25 years’ experience in the UK government, public, not-for-profit and higher education sectors. She is recognised as one of the HE sector’s early adopters of generative AI for communications and a practical advocate for responsible, everyday integration of AI tools in communication workflows. At the University of Sussex Business School, Serenahas led internal initiatives to help communications teams explore, test and adopt AI tools using them to streamline reporting, improve campaign delivery, and reduce the burden of routine tasks. She is an active contributor to Communities of Practice focused on AI in HE and public sector comms. With a background in stakeholder engagement, media relations, and external and internal communications, Serena brings a grounded, audience-first approach to digital innovation. She is committed to helping comms professionals use AI to work more efficiently and creatively—without losing the human touch that defines great communication.

Amy Mollett is head of social media, video and photography at the University of Cambridge, where she leads on the University’s social media strategy and manages content for an audience of over 6.5 million followers. In 2023, she led a project creating guidelines for using generative AI tools in communications at Cambridge. Amy was previously the head of social media at the Houses of Parliament, and before that led social media at the London School of Economics. Amy is co-author of ‘Communicating Your Research with Social Media: A Practical Guide to Using Blogs, Podcasts, Data Visualisations and Video’.

Darryl is Co-Founder of Hard Numbers, PR Moment’s B2B Agency of the Year. Hard Numbers marries killer creative with commercial acumen, creating campaigns that drive demonstrable return on investment. Darryl spent much of his career in sales, running this function for Precise (now Onclusive). He ran the London office of a Search Engine Marketing agency, and then joined Hotwire as a board director of its UK business. Darryl is a Fellow of the PRCA and CIPR and is a CIPR Chartered Practitioner and member of AMEC, but his most important job is that of father to his children, Hudson and Halia. 

Chris Stokel-Walker is a technology journalist and author, described by LBC’s Nick Ferrari as “One of the best technology journalists on the planet”, and “the UK’s leading technology journalist” by Jane Garvey on Times Radio. His work appears in outlets including the BBC, New Scientist, Wired, The Guardian, and The Economist, covering the intersection of technology, society, and culture. Based in Newcastle upon Tyne, he is the author of four books and writes regularly about AI, social media platforms, and digital regulation. He also runs Pitch Perfect workshops, training PRs how to better communicate with journalists and therefore secure their clients coverage.

Ben Verinder is an agency founder, a strategic communication and public relations expert advising boards, senior teams and communications professionals and a pioneering authority on AI in PR. He is a founder member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ AI in PR panel, the author of the first papers published by the CIPR on AI in PR (on AI and data ethics), a contributor to a wide range of publications on the topic, and creator of the ground-breaking ‘AI and Reputation Leadership’ course. ​​Ben is also one of 50 Founding Chartered public relations practitioners globally and a regular speaker on AI and PR, crisis and issues management, communication, reputation and research. He delivers training and consultancy on these topics to a wide range of public and private sector clients in the UK and internationally, focusing on helping communication teams adapt and integrate AI into their workflows while mitigating adoption risks.

Dr Swati Virmani is head of academic at De Montfort University London, specialising in human-centred AI, AI ethics and digital strategy. She leads interdisciplinary initiatives integrating AI with communication, mental health and wellbeing, and civic engagement. She has authored national reports for the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and is currently designing a Responsible AI Governance Framework for Communications & Engagement Directorate at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. Her work connects technology, policy and practice to support responsible innovation.

Sarah Waddington CBE is the CEO of the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), the world’s largest professional PR body. 

Prior to that, she was a director of Wadds Inc. where she advised creative agency management teams on company direction to deliver sustainable growth. 

Sarah is the UK’s first Chartered director and Chartered PR practitioner, offering a unique mix of governance and communications expertise. She is the co-founder of Socially Mobile, a not-for-profit PR training school helping those from lower socio-economic backgrounds and under-represented groups to increase their earning potential. 

A pioneer of best practice, her CBE was awarded in June 2021 for services to public relations and voluntary sectors.  

Stephen Waddington is a professional adviser at Wadds Inc. and a PhD researcher at Leeds Business School. He supports agency and in-house teams on management, corporate communications and public relations. His agency career includes leadership roles at Metia, Ketchum, Rainier PR and Speed, and he has advised organisations including The Economist, HM Government, Intel, Microsoft, the Press Association, the NHS, Tesco and Virgin Media Business. Stephen co-founded Socially Mobile, a social enterprise that helps public relations practitioners from lower socio-economic backgrounds and underrepresented groups increase their earning potential through management training. He has written or edited ten books, including ‘Brand Anarchy’, ‘Chartered Public Relations, Exploring Public Relations and Management Communication’, and ‘Share This’. He is a former President of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and founder of the CIPR AI in PR panel.