The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) announces the selection of two new members to serve as directors on the International Executive Board (IEB) for the 2022-2023 term beginning this June: Kamyar Naficy and Matt Tidwell, Ph.D., APR.
The continuing IEB members (some in new roles next year) are Alain Legault, SCMP, MA, as chair; Maliha Aqeel, PMP, SCMP as vice chair; Danielle Bond, SCMP, as past chair; Ann-Marie Blake, MCIPR as secretary-treasurer; as well as the following directors: Ed Kamrin, SCMP; Julie Ludwig, ABC, SCMP; Katie Macaulay; Wendy Snyder; K. Dawn Rutledge, Ed.D; and Jonathan Tremblay, CMP.
As the governing body of IABC, the IEB leads the organization’s strategic direction, including its mission to set the global standard of excellence for business communication. The 2022–2023 IEB slate will be presented to IABC members for ratification at the upcoming Annual General Meeting.
Vice Chair (three-year term with automatic succession to Chair and Past Chair)
Maliha Aqeel, PMP, SCMP, MC, is Founder & CEO of The Ideas Collective Inc., an independent consulting firm bringing brand purpose to life through content, customers and culture. She has worked in corporate and agency roles for almost 20 years, connecting the dots between brand, marketing and communications to drive business objectives. She is a long-time IABC volunteer and is a regular speaker at industry conferences. She has won several IABC Gold Quill awards for brand development, content marketing, publications and internal communications, including two Gold Quill “Best of the Best” awards for employee engagement and COVID-19 response management and communications.
Secretary/Treasurer (one-year term)
Ann-Marie Blake, Chart.PR, is a senior communications professional with a successful background in large and complex international corporate organisations. She is an accomplished leader with experience managing teams in Europe, Asia and the US. In addition to her day to day work, she also teaches the PRCA Introduction to PR and Strategic Communications Planning courses. Blake has been an IABC member since 2012. She was previously Treasurer for the IABC U.K. chapter and is current Chair of the UK Blue Ribbon Panel for the IABC Gold Quill Awards, as well as an evaluator.
Director (one-year term)
Kamyar Naficy is the founder and principal of KNECTCOMMS, a strategic communications consultancy that specialises in financial services and fintech. Prior to establishing the consultancy, Kamyar held senior communications positions at JP Morgan, London Stock Exchange Group and UniCredit. Earlier in his career, he worked in investment banking and management consulting. With over 20 years of strategic communications experience, Kamyar has advised businesses in Europe, the US and the Middle East on all aspects of corporate, financial and marketing communications. He holds a BA from the London School of Economics and an MPhil in Management Studies from Cambridge University.
Director (three-year term)
An innovator and collaborator, Ed Kamrin, SCMP has served IABC in many key roles, including Gold Quill Committee Chair, PPR Region Chair, and San Francisco Chapter President. Kamrin heads a consulting agency specializing in communications that catalyze social and organizational change. He has worked with organizations from startups to large multinationals, focusing on technology, healthcare, and nonprofits, and has an active pro bono practice. He received an undergraduate degree, with high honors, from Swarthmore College and completed postgraduate studies in linguistics and business.
Director (three-year term)
Matt Tidwell, Ph. D., APR, is an assistant dean and on the faculty of the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas. Previously, he helped lead communications agencies and served as senior communications director for companies including Great Plains Energy and Sanofi- Aventis Pharmaceuticals. Education and professional development are now his passion and he has been a frequent speaker locally and nationally. In addition to teaching, he conducts academic research in crisis communications and has been published in Journal of Professional Communications and IABC’s Communications World. He has a master’s in communications management from Syracuse University and a Ph.D. from KU.