Our 11th annual Innovator 25 class in the Americas features some of PR’s most forward-looking thinkers:  individuals taking the lead – and the risk – in advancing the industry through ingenuity at a time when the winds of change of demand it.

The breadth of our 2023 class shows that innovation is found across the PR — our innovators are experts in ESG, credibility, humor, health and digital as well as creative specialties. This year we also have a CEO.  All our innovators are keen to take PR into the future by expanding, reshaping and sharpening the industry.

You can read all of the Innovator 25 Profiles, and explore their inspiration, advice and career learnings using the navigation menu on this page. We have also collected insights and trends among this year's Innovators in the infographics below, including the organizations they come from, the brands and people they admire, their collective take on the PR industry's strengths and weaknesses when it comes to innovation, and their own personal habits and tips.

This year’s Innovator class is 52% female, 48% male. Some 60% of our innovators work at agencies while 36% have in-house roles and one runs an institute. They live in New York, Washington, São Paolo, Dallas, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Miami, Montreal, Panama City and Bellingham, Washington.

Most – 52% – have been in their current role for up to three years, versus four to eight years (24%), eight to 12 years (12%), 12-20 years (8%), and 20-plus (4%).

The members of this year’s class were mixed in their responses to the question around the PR industry’s innovation compared to other marketing disciplines. Some 38% see PR’s level of innovation as equal to other marketing disciplines, whereas 33% see it as more innovative and 28% less. 

Overall, they rank the industry’s greatest opportunities to take the lead in innovation as integrated marketing (44%); creative ideas (22%); data, analytics and measurement (22%); DEI (6%); and AI (6%).