Institute for Public Relations 2023 Leadership Update
The Institute for Public Relations Board of Trustees is thrilled to announce the election of Yanique Woodall, VP of Communications and Customer Experience at CVS Health, as the 2023 IPR Chair. MSL U.S. CEO Diana Littman has been elected Vice Chair, and Brett Ludwig, Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs at Lehigh University, has been elected Treasurer. Dave Scholz, EVP and Partner at Leger, will lead the IPR Behavioral Insights Research Center after Dr. Terry Flynn, Associate Professor at McMaster University, completed his leadership term. All appointments began on Jan. 1, 2023.
Stacey Jones, Senior Managing Director and Head of Global Corporate Communications at Accenture, will serve as Immediate Past Chair after serving two years as Chair. Doug Pinkham, President of the Public Affairs Council, completed his term as Treasurer, and Steve Cody, Co-Founder and CEO at Peppercomm, completed his term as Immediate Past Chair. Pinkham and Cody were recognized at the IPR Board Meeting in December 2022 for their contributions and service to IPR. Both will continue serving on the Board.
“IPR prides itself on having an involved Board of superstars,” said Tina McCorkindale, Ph.D., APR, President and CEO of the Institute for Public Relations. “Our Board elected Yanique, Diana, Brett, and Dave because of their passion for research, IPR, and the industry. We look forward to their leadership in advancing IPR’s mission and strategic agenda.”
Yanique Woodall, Chair
Yanique Woodall is the VP of Communications and Customer Experience at CVS Health. Prior to her role at CVS Health, Woodall served as Senior Director, Corporate Communications and External Affairs at The Home Depot. In this role, she led brand communications, which played a key role in The Home Depot’s messaging strategy to support social impact programs, marketing, merchandising, product innovation, and technology goals. Prior to joining The Home Depot in 2017, Woodall was the Chief Communications Officer and Vice President, Public Relations at 1-800-FLOWERS.COM. Since 2003, Yanique has also been an Adjunct Assistant Professor at George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management and Hofstra University’s School of Communication.
“I am incredibly grateful for the vital role IPR continues to play in the industry, and I am honored to serve as Chair of the IPR Board of Trustees,” said Woodall. “With today’s evolving and complex landscape, IPR’s research and insights are critical to understanding various audiences, and identifying, advancing, and measuring effective communication strategies for public relations professionals.”
Diana Littman, Vice Chair
As the CEO of MSL U.S., Diana Littman is at the helm of Publicis Groupe’s premier PR agency and its more than 250 team members who have ranked it one of the “Best Places to Work” in the industry. With a mission to make every company, brand, and leader more influential, MSL’s client partners are among the most impactful in the world – Procter & Gamble, GM, Lilly, Inspire Brands, J.M. Smucker, Gilead, and KitchenAid to name a few – and are consistently recognized for innovation in communications. Under Diana’s leadership, the agency has driven critical research, including its renowned “Time to Face the Influencer Pay Gap” study delving into inequities in the influencer marketing space and “Where’s Your Watercooler?” which explored employee engagement with deskless workers. Before joining MSL four years ago, Diana spent a decade each at Marina Maher Communications/Omnicom and BCW (formerly Cohn & Wolfe)/WPP and the past 20+ dedicated to reimagining what public relations can accomplish and how expansive it can be, especially when culture, creativity, and data are at its core.
“I am truly honored and pleased to take on such an important role at IPR in support of its unique research mission and distinguished Board of Trustees,” said Littman. “At a time when our industry is evolving with unmatched speed and strength, our constant curiosity and commitment to growth will prove more powerful than ever, and IPR’s work will continue to be core to all our success as C-suite leaders and communications experts.”
Brett Ludwig, Treasurer
Brett Ludwig is Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs at Lehigh University. In his role, Ludwig guides the creation and implementation of a strategic communication plan to demonstrate Lehigh’s distinctive position within the higher education landscape. Formerly, Brett led the Communications function at W.L. Gore & Associates, a global materials science company dedicated to transforming industries and improving lives. Prior to Gore, Brett led Global Communications at Cardinal Health, a Fortune 21 global healthcare services and products company, and served as VP, Public Relations at Cardinal Health, where he was responsible for external communication, crisis response, issues management, and media relations. Brett is an Adjunct Professor of Public Relations at Bryn Athyn College.
“IPR is a rare gem in the communications community – the combination of a focus on research and deep industry leadership,” said Ludwig. “I am honored to serve as a Trustee and welcome the opportunity to work with the leadership team to ensure we empower our mission through thoughtful financial stewardship. Our industry is at a nexus where monumental societal changes demand human-centered communications and public relations excellence, and I believe IPR is poised to continue to lead those efforts.
Dave Scholz, Director of IPR Behavioral Insights Research Center
Dave Scholz is an Executive Vice President and member of Leger’s General Management Team responsible for Leger’s U.S. offices. Leger is the largest Canadian-owned research company with offices across Canada and the U.S. For more than 25 years, Dave has specialized in reputation and communications research and created Leger’s public relations research practice. Dave is also an Adjunct Professor at McMaster University’s Master of Communications Management program for the past sixteen years, a Past-President of the Canadian Public Relations Society’s Toronto Chapter, and a Board Trustee at the Institute for Public Relations.
“Behavioral insights research has become a critical advisory tool in a world where institutional trust is deteriorating annually,” said Scholz. “I am proud to be part of IPR’s commitment to research in this space.”
