PRCA Names Kirsty Leighton As New Chair

(MENAFN- PRovoke) LONDON - The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) has appointed Kirsty Leighton, founder and Group CEO of Milk & Honey PR, as chair of its management board.

The appointment follows the recent announcement of Sarah Waddington CBE as the PRCA's new CEO , giving the organisation its first ever all-female leadership team. Waddington had been acting as interim CEO since January, after the departure of James Hewes .

Leighton has been on the PRCA board for the past two years and will take up the role after the association's AGM in September.

She succeeds Four Agency group MD Ray Eglington, who led the interim management board set up as part of the PRCA's governance review in 2023, and became chair of the new board in 2024.

Leighton brings more than 25 years' experience in corporate brand PR and communications, having held senior roles across financial, corporate, technology, and consumer agencies. She founded Milk & Honey – named as one of PRovoke Media's best 50 agencies in the UK – in 2017.

Waddington said:“Ray has been an exceptional leader as Management Board Chair and thanks to him, the organisation is in a much stronger place with a clear vision and real momentum. I'm personally grateful for all his hard work and support, having seen the extent of his contribution.

“Replacing Ray was never going to be easy but in Kirsty we have a smart forward thinker, with energy and global expertise who cares equally deeply about enhancing the member experience. We're at a real moment in PRCA history and I'm looking forward to working with her closely to achieve our strategic objectives.”

Leighton said she was“honoured” to take on the role at“a pivotal time” for the PR and communications industry. She added:“Together with the powerhouse that is Sarah Waddington, I look forward to steering the PRCA towards even greater inclusivity and innovation, and to advancing our profession on a global stage.”

Hanover chairman Charles Lewington, chair of the nominations committee and honorary vice president of the PRCA, said:“Ray will be a hard act to follow but in Kirsty, the PRCA management board will be in the safest of hands. Kirsty has built a terrific PR agency, has strong financial acumen and the international experience to support the PRCA's expanding global membership. Together with Sarah, we have an unbeatable all-women top team.”

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