In our Headliners series of conversations, we get under the skin of PR and communications leaders around the world who have made PRovoke Media headlines recently, uncovering what they see as the greatest challenges and opportunities for the industry, where they find inspiration (and how they switch off), what they’ve learned about themselves, as well as the creative campaigns they love and the work they are most proud of.

In this week's Q&A, we speak to Kathy Bloomgarden, global CEO of Ruder Finn, which last week acquired digital marketing agency Flightpath.

What are the greatest challenges and opportunities for the PR and communications industry over the next 12 months?

As Generative AI and new technologies continue to revolutionize the space, being able to successfully incorporate AI into communications strategies may pose a challenge for PR professionals — but for those who adapt to this societal shift —  utilizing AI will result in innovative opportunities and boundary breaking strategy and similarly for our clients. So many companies across industries are currently looking at their portfolios and business models to adopt new technologies. The task of communicating these shifts externally and driving internal engagement around new ways of working is a great opportunity for comms professionals.

What’s the best PR campaign you’ve seen recently and why?

I think that campaigns that use multiple grass-roots influencers who are deeply embedded in community engagement are key to the future of integrated communications. Increasing recognition of micro and nano influencers is an important aspect of this. 

What work from your team are you most proud of over the past year?

There have been so many proud moments for us in the past year. Some work that I am particularly proud of has been with John Chambers, Chairman Emeritus, Cisco & CEO, JC2 Ventures. This year marks 4 years of the ‘Chambers Talks’ podcast, which has seen John connect with 30+ top CEOs of disruptive and innovative companies for thought-provoking discussions about business, technology, and economic trends. These inspiring conversations have featured the likes of Arvind Krishna, IBM, Dr. Lisa Su, AMD, Antonio Neri, HPE, Thomas Kurian, Google Cloud, and Brian Moynihan, Bank of America, among others.

What have you learned about yourself over the past couple of years?

As my father, and founder of Ruder Finn, David Finn said, “Just because you don’t know how to do something, doesn’t mean you can’t.” This mantra has always resonated with me deeply, and particularly in the world we are living in today inspires me to try new things, push myself out of my comfort zone, adopt new tools and technologies, and always keep an open mind to what’s next! 

How do you switch off and maintain wellness?

One of my favorite ways to maintain wellness and to take time for myself is to swim. It’s important to me to incorporate movement into my routine every day and swimming lets me mull over the problems I am trying to solve. I also enjoy spending time with my family who ground me with what’s important. 

What cultural source (eg book/podcast/movie/TV show/music artist) has provided creative inspiration for you lately?

Kathy Giusti’s book ‘Fatal to Fearless: 12 Steps to Beating Cancer in a Broken Medical System’ has been particularly inspiring to me lately. Her personal account as a two-time cancer survivor and her approach to patient engagement and advocacy is deeply moving and has inspired my recent work. 

If I wasn’t working in PR/comms I would be…

If I wasn’t in PR or comms I would be working at an AI startup, and especially one that taps into geographies around the world. I truly believe that the expansion of knowledge comes from collaboration and partnership from all around the world.