Jon has been in public relations and public affairs since starting his career in practice in Canada, where he worked in communication and consultancy roles in Government at federal and provincial levels.
Jon led the first PR university bachelor's degree programme in Canada before being recruited by the then Institute of Public Relations and Cranfield University School of Management. Here he set up an executive MBA programme at the School, specialising in public relations. He was a member with Professor James Grunig of the Excellence research team, developing theories of public relations practice that inform teaching of the subject around the world. He has written several books on public relations practice. Since becoming independent, he has maintained university teaching and research and development links with a number of other universities in the UK, Switzerland and Germany, as well as serving a number of corporate, government, university and consultancy clients around the world.
What is your ambition for the CIPR?
I hope to see the CIPR lead practice development in public relations by giving closer attention to continuing professional development, research and innovation in practice, and practice standards.
What does the profession need to do over the next five years?
It needs to be more ambitious for itself and its contribution, encouraging practitioners to have the confidence to practice public relations in its full scope.
What is the most interesting PR activity you undertake?
Most interesting is work with organisations to help them see how they can be more effective through paying closer attention to important relationships and gaining necessary support from groups involved in those relationships.
Who is your PR idol?
I don't have idols, but there are a number of individuals in practice for whom I have a great deal of respect. They are individuals who have a clear-sighted view of public relations and its contribution, and are able to argue for, and act on, the public relations perspective at the highest levels of management. They include people like Kevin Murray, chairman of Bell Pottinger, and Simon Lewis, a former Institute president.
If you were not in PR, where would you be working?
I work independently, so would continue to do this, providing advice and services to management, possibly in organisations working on social and cultural development, like the British Council. Alternatively, having been a full-time faculty member at universities in Canada and the UK, I might do that again.
What is the single biggest issue facing PR?
The industry's ambitions. They need to be pitched higher.
