Below are details of the current members of the CIPR North East Group's committee.
Chair
Chris Taylor MCIPR
Chris is managing director of Tees Valley-based PR, marketing and digital agency DTW, and has spent 14 years working in PR across the UK.
He is chair elect of the CIPR North East committee and specialises in media, community and political relations work, often in challenging environments on high-profile projects at the interface between the public and private sectors.
Chris is equally comfortable whether creating a strategic approach or delivering tactical solutions on the front line.
Secretary
Sally Pearson MCIPR
Sally is an active committee member of the CIPR and was formerly head of PR at Newcastle-based marketing communications agency Robson Brown.
She is an avid communicator with over 22 years experience in PR spanning London, Manchester and Newcastle agencies.
Sally has enjoyed working on big national brands and regional business organisations, and is experienced in working across consumer, business-to-business, issues management, event organisation, public affairs and field marketing.
Treasurer
Laurel Hetherington FCIPR
Laurel is a CIPR-approved trainer and PR lecturer at both Sunderland and Newcastle universities. She started her career as a press officer, coming from a marketing background, and has worked as an independent practitioner offering training both regionally and nationally since the 1980s.
In 1998 she was awarded a CIPR Fellowship in recognition of her work in PR education. She has been treasurer of the North East group since 2003 and was a committee member for several years before that.
Committee members
Jen Atkinson MCIPR
Jen Atkinson is responsible for communications at ClimateNE, working across a portfolio of projects in a complex and multi-stakeholder environment to assist the move toward a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy.
Graduating from The University of Sunderland with an upper class honours degree in Communications Studies, she is an accredited practitioner – and gained the CIPR Diploma in Public Relations in which she investigated how PR practitioners are responding to the climate change challenge.
Taking a lead on engagement with the business sector across the North East on adapting to a change in climate, Jen also plays an instrumental role in developing and advising on strategic communications for a new company leading on climate change for the United Kingdom – building relationships with the private/public sectors and government departments.
She also undertakes a significant amount of complementary work for good causes locally and nationally. Recent projects include working with the national organisation Tipping Point, bringing the arts and sciences together through a national gathering to energise a creative response to climate change.
Jen also supports the Sustainable Communities North East Initiative and the Climate Change Schools Project, both seeking to drive forward action on sustainability and climate-change related activities in communities in the North East of England.
For a number of years, she has provided PR support for Sangini – a Sunderland-based women's charity that supports black and minority ethnic women through educational, creative and participatory activities.
Tony Bradley FCIPR
Originally training as a journalist, Tony Bradley moved into public relations 34 years ago and has worked in consultancy and senior in-house roles in the UK and overseas. He founded Bradley O'Mahoney Public Relations in 1991, although he has since stepped back from day-to-day management.
Tony was national president of the CIPR in 2006 – its first from an agency outside London – and spent much of that year speaking at international conferences in China, the USA, Malaysia, Croatia, France, the Ukraine and Brazil.
He is chairman of Sunderland University's programme advisory panel for its PR degree courses, and in 2010/11 was 'International Delegate at Large' for the Public Relations Society of America – the world's largest PR organisation – and the first non-US citizen ever to fill that role.
In 2000 he was awarded Fellowship of the CIPR, and at the CIPR PRide Awards in 2007 received a special award in recognition of achievements for the Institute and the north east's public relations profession. This was followed by a civic reception hosted by the Lord Mayor of Newcastle to mark his contribution to PR in the region.
Sarah Hall FCIPR
Sarah is the managing director of Sarah Hall Consulting Ltd, a PR and marketing agency that builds profiles and profits. Her consultancy specialises in reputation management, stakeholder communications, media relations, social and online media, issues management, internal communications and event organisation.
Sarah has an MA in marketing and holds the accolade of being the Chartered Institute of Marketing North East Postgraduate of the Year 2005. She was awarded the title of Young Communicator of the Year at the CIPR PRide Awards in 2004 and has won a multitude of PRide Awards since that time.
Former chair of the CIPR North East committee, with which she has been involved since launching her career, Sarah sat on the CIPR's Executive Board for two years, led its 2010 voluntary review, sits on its Council and is helping to shape and implement policy and drive the industry forward.
She judges regional and national industry awards and regularly speaks at events. Sarah is committed to best practice and demonstrating the value of PR and marketing in achieving business success.
Sujarda Herring MCIPR
Sujarda is strategic PR & communications manager for the Digital Switchover Help Scheme, having joined in 2010 after spending three years as an account director at an award-winning communications consultancy.
With over ten years' experience across PR and journalism, she has previously worked in-house and in consultancy for a range of clients and businesses in London, Leeds and Newcastle including: Nike, Karrimor, Leeds City Council, Centros Miller, Newcastle International Airport, Newcastle Great Park, Primula Cheese and The Sage, Gateshead.
She is primarily responsible for devising, strategising and implementing regional public relations campaigns, as well as being the main PR liaison between the Help Scheme and its partner organisations involved in the project.
Holding an MA in journalism and a first class degree in PR, she is also a previous winner of the prestigious CIPR Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year award.
Amy Maughan MCIPR
Amy is an Account Director at Bradley O'Mahoney Public Relations in Newcastle, where she directs and manages a diverse range of clients in both the public and private sectors. She has been working in PR and marketing since graduating from Northumbria University in 1999.
Communications, developing lasting relationships, working with words and helping her clients to achieve their goals are what she is passionate about. On top of the day job, Amy also runs a family business specialising in aloe vera-based health, well-being and nutritional products.
In a previous life, she worked in communications for the North East Assembly and Association of North East Councils – where she was directly involved in the communication of Assembly and Association policies and activities, including media and lobbying campaigns on key regional issues.
Debbie Sharratt MCIPR
Debbie has fifteen years PR and communications experience in the North East. A resourceful and versatile public relations professional, she is using her experience gained in working with organisations big and small, across the private, public and third sector to offer communications support to businesses and organisations in the region.
Current clients include a Hollywood film artist, tourist agencies and attractions, online fashion retailers, beauty products and textile recycling, to name a few!
Most recently Debbie was responsible for corporate and consumer tourism PR at One North East, and was an integral part of the team that created and launched the successful 'Passionate people. Passionate places' campaign for North East England.
Previous to One North East, Debbie managed the PR for over 3000 Pubmaster pubs, and was the fundraising and PR officer for Children North East, the oldest children's charity in the region.
Ross Wigham MCIPR
Ross currently runs communications, PR and marketing at Northumberland County Council, one of the largest local authorities in England, and before this was media relations manager at Gateshead Council.
He is a current PRide award winner and has worked on some of the biggest public sector campaigns in the region. He has spoken extensively about how local public services can use social media and regularly finds himself helping politicians handle the media.
Ross is also an experienced journalist, having spent a decade in London working for top trade publications as well as producing content for firms such as Sony, HSBC and Business link.
He has interviewed some key figures in British political life including senior government ministers Charles Clarke, Alan Johnson and John Healey, TUC general secretary Brendan Barber and even one-time England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.
