Executive board with Porto mayor
The International Public Relations Network (IPRN) celebrated its 30th anniversary with a convention held in Porto, Portugal. Around 50 members from 30 agencies gathered over four days to present case studies, share best practices, and discuss the future of the sector in light of changes in international politics and the rapid growth of artificial intelligence.
Rodrigo Viana de Freitas was unanimously re-elected as executive president of the network for a second and final three-year term. Alongside Rodrigo Viana, the board members for the coming year were also elected: Ashwani Singla (India), Carina Almeida (Brazil), Ko Fujii (Japan), Michele Mekky (USA), Nicole Capper (South Africa), and Philippe Beck (Luxembourg). The next IPRN meetings will take place in Rome (2026) and Tokyo (2027).
Says Capper, “It is an honour to be elected for a second term on the executive board. The IPRN network is a powerful global collaborator for business and knowledge sharing and my service on the Board not only keeps me close to global trends, but it also forges international alliances that greatly serve South African clients.”
Capper was also elected as the regional head for Africa and the Middle East. “These two regions have huge growth potential,” says Capper. “We look forward to actively growing the network in these regions as there is a need for local communication specialists on both the African continent and in the Middle East for international business contracts. The IPRN network is perfectly suited to provide these.”
Founded in 1995, IPRN now has its headquarters in Brussels, in a move aimed at bringing the network closer to European institutions. According to Rodrigo Viana de Freitas, “this step is fundamental to preparing the organization for the years ahead.” He adds: “The goal is to equip IPRN with management capacity to continue expanding into new geographies and to support members in generating international business with brands and institutions across all sectors.”
Mayor of Porto welcomes the group
The annual meeting program included a morning at Porto Business School, an event partner, with two international keynote sessions: “Donald Trump’s Foreign Policy: Impacts on International Relations,” by Jorge Rodrigues, coordinator of PBS’s Geopolitics Observatory, and “Artificial Intelligence and the New World,” by Ricardo Ribeiro, Director of Digital Transformation at Banco Montepio and professor in postgraduate and MBA programs at various universities.
The group was also welcomed by the Mayor of Porto, another event partner, with a formal reception at Casa do Roseiral. On the occasion, Rui Moreira emphasized Porto’s cultural and international dimension, explaining the city’s transformation process over the past 12 years. The event concluded with the annual awards ceremony, which this year honored a breast cancer awareness campaign from Puerto Rico as the best of the year.
About IPRN
The International Public Relations Network is a global network of independent public relations and communications agencies, with around 50 members in over 100 major cities and more than 30 countries across five continents. It represents all sectors of the industry and has a combined turnover of approximately USD 150 million, with over 1,000 staff and 4,000 clients across its member agencies.
