Renowned media editors Shekhar Gupta and Lauren Young have joined the PRovokeGlobal lineup, for sessions that will focus on the complex intersection of innovation, geopolitics and citizenship.

Gupta, who is editor-in-chief and chairman of ThePRint, is considered one of India's leading media voices, as an influential national columnist and TV host. In a session supported by Adfactors, Gupta will be interviewed by PRovoke Media editor-in-chief Arun Sudhaman on how the rise of India and China is reshaping the geopolitical environment.

A former editor of the Indian Express, Gupta has reported on key Indian and international events, including Operation Blue Star, the student uprising in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the first Gulf War from Baghdad, the first, US-backed "jehad" in Afghanistan, and the many twists and turns in the troubled 1983-1993 decade in Sri Lanka’s Tamil North.

Young, meanwhile, is editor of digital special projects at Reuters, and a workplace, personal finance and digital expert who has been with the media company for 12 years. She will feature in a Finn Partners session on how global tech brands navigate today's complex issues landscape. 

The duo join a host of high-level speakers that have joined the PRovokeGlobal lineup in recent days, from across journalism, corporate, science and academia. They include:

  • Publicis Groupe advisor & author Rishad Tobaccowala
  • Kym White, CCO at CVS Health
  • PayPal CCO Franz Paasche
  • Anita Gupta, DHL's head of media relations
  • Tyson Foods communications director Melissa Sylvia
  • Stacey Keegan, VP of global corporate marketing & communications at Marvell
  • Hyatt global VP of DEI Tyronne Stoudemire
  • Francesco Marconi, co-founder of Applied X Labs
  • Samsung communications VP Cameron Batten
  • Jen Hartmann, global head of PR & social media at John Deere

Other confirmed speakers include:

  • Tim Nguyen, unit head for high impact events in the global infectious hazard preparedness department of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, speaking on a panel addressing ways to fight misinformation during the current Covid-19 pandemic.
  • Sally Susman, EVP and chief corporate affairs officer at pharmaceutical company Pfizer, where she is also vice chair of The Pfizer Foundation and co-chair of Pfizer’s Political Action Committee. 
  • Trent Ross, chief research officer, corporate reputation, at polling specialist Ipsos.
  • Dr. Nirit Weiss-Blatt (Ph.D.), a visiting research fellow at USC Annenberg who has worked as a tech journalist and in tech PR in Israel. She and Ross will be discussing the communications challenges and the public policy implications of the ongoing “techlash.”

PRovokeGlobal highlights will include sessions on:

Full programme here. 

PRovokeGlobal is supported by numerous partners and sponsors, including FleishmanHillard, BCW, Imre, Ketchum, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, W2O Group, WE Communications, Weber Shandwick, Prophet, Edelman, AxiCom, M Booth, Adfactors, Crisp, Zeno Group, Finn Partners, Highwire, Davis & Gilbert, thenetworkone, Prosper Group, GCI Health, Allison+Partners and SPRG. Supporting organizations include WARC, ICCO and APACD.