Senior strategic communications leader, Gifty Bingley has challenged communications professionals to embrace continuous reinvention, strategic leadership and ethical influence as critical requirements for remaining relevant in a rapidly evolving communications landscape.
Delivering the keynote address at the climax of 10th Women in PR Ghana Annual Summit, held under the theme “Positioning Women in PR Ghana as Catalysts for Strategic Change and Influence,” at the Calbank Auditorium in Accra, on 4th July, Ms. Bingley said careers evolve alongside industries and practitioners must deliberately adapt before change forces them to do so.
Speaking on “The Career Nobody Plans For: Lessons on Reinvention, Relevance and Influence,” she noted that, “Careers evolve because the world evolves. Staying relevant means choosing to adapt before change forces you to,” adding that, “relevance is not what you claim. It is what your work consistently demonstrates.”
Her remarks set the tone for the three-day summit, which brought together communications professionals, corporate executives, policymakers, academics and students to examine the future of public relations in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, digital transformation, governance and stakeholder trust.
President of Women in PR Ghana, Josephine Sanny, described the summit as a milestone in the organisation’s journey of developing and supporting women leaders and students in communications.
Reflecting on the organisation’s growth, she paid tribute to founder Faith Senam Ocloo, whose vision she said transformed a simple idea into one of Ghana’s leading professional communities for women in communications and public relations.
Turning attention to governance and public policy, Kate Addo challenged communications professionals to deepen their understanding of policy-making processes if they are to effectively influence national development.
Speaking on the role of communicators in strengthening democratic governance, she said policy cannot be influenced by professionals who do not understand how it is developed and implemented.
“Policy cannot be influenced by communicators who do not understand it. Understanding the nuances is what gives communication its power,” she said, urging practitioners to move beyond information dissemination to become responsible managers of information that builds public trust and strengthens democratic institutions.
She emphasised that respecting privacy and consent remains fundamental to building and sustaining stakeholder trust.
Chief Change Maker, The Bold New Normal, Lucy Quist in her keynote address for day two (2) of the annual summit, challenged communications professionals to move beyond managing messages to shaping leadership decisions and national development.
Speaking on Leading Beyond Titles: Advocacy, Influence and Nation Building, she stressed that public relations professionals should position themselves as strategic advisers within organisations. “If PR only manages messages, it is underperforming; real influence begins when communication starts shaping how leaders think and decide,” she said, adding that leadership is ultimately built on trust, consistency and courage rather than titles.
Rosy Fynn, Country Director, Mastercard Foundation, Nigeria also encouraged practitioners to prioritise credibility above visibility, noting that influence is earned through character, trust and consistency.
She observed that while competence creates opportunities, it is integrity that sustains long-term leadership and advised participants to intentionally build relationships over time.
Faith Senam Ocloo, Founder of Women in PR Ghana, led the launch of a series of activities marking the celebration of the 10th annual summit, including research on women in public relations and national advocacy initiatives aimed at advancing the visibility, impact and development of women in the communications profession.
The event was graced by Donald Gwira, Vice President, IPR Ghana, Petra Aba Asamoah, Business Executive among others.
