The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and the Taylor Bennett Foundation have launched the fourth cohort of their award-winning Reverse Mentoring Programme, designed to accelerate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) progress across the communications industry.
Now entering its fourth year, the scheme has grown by 50% – a powerful signal that, despite mounting pressure and scrutiny on DEI initiatives, many agencies and in-house teams are reaffirming their commitment to building inclusive cultures. Participating organisations in 2025 include BT, Virgin Money, Freuds, MONY Group, and others.
Over the next 10 months, 20 senior leaders from across the industry will be paired with PR and comms professionals from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds. These partnerships are designed to spark candid conversations, challenge bias, and drive cultural change by allowing senior leaders to hear first-hand experiences from underrepresented voices in the industry.
Koray Camgöz, Chief Executive Officer of the Taylor Bennett Foundation said:
“While others are scaling back, this scheme is scaling up. The 50% growth in participation sends a clear message: the UK PR industry is not retreating on DEI. Leaders want to listen, learn, and lead differently – and we’re here to help make that happen. This is about action, not optics.”
Avril Lee, Chair of the CIPR’s Diversity and Inclusion Network, commented:
“Real change requires real, and sometimes difficult, conversations – and that’s what this scheme delivers. It’s not always easy, but the results speak for themselves. We’ve seen organisations begin to rethink recruitment and progression through this process. That’s the kind of impact we need to sustain to build a diverse industry that can succeed in this era of constant change and challenge.”
All participants were carefully selected and matched through a joint process led by the CIPR and the Taylor Bennett Foundation, drawing on a wide pool of agency and in-house professionals across sectors.
The programme will run until February 2026.
ENDS
About the Taylor Bennett Foundation
The Taylor Bennett Foundation (TBF) is a UK-based charity dedicated to increasing ethnic diversity in public relations and communications. Established in 2008 by executive search firm Taylor Bennett (now Taylor Birchwood), with support from Brunswick Group, the Foundation aims to empower Black, Asian, and minority ethnic talent to pursue and thrive in communications careers.
Over the past fifteen years, we have helped over 1,200 young people to start their PR and communications careers through professional development programmes. We offer fully paid, award-winning training, mentoring, and internship programmes in partnership with leading industry agencies and FTSE 100 companies. Beyond career guidance, our education and leadership programmes support participants from entry-level to executive leadership
About the Chartered Institute of Public Relations
Founded in 1948, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is the world’s only Royal Chartered professional body for public relations practitioners with over 11,000 members.
The CIPR advances professionalism in public relations by making its members accountable to their employers and the public through a code of conduct and searchable public register, setting standards through training, qualifications, awards and the production of best practice and skills guidance, facilitating Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and awarding Chartered Public Relations Practitioner status (Chart.PR).
May 12th 2025