Vice Chair, with automatic succession to Chair, and Past Chair, Richard Kies, ABC, SCMP
Richard is a non-profit leader with close to 30 years of experience as an executive director, development manager, crisis communicator, and mentor of staff and volunteer teams. He is currently Vice President of Development for the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan. His communications experience includes 15 years with the Canadian Red Cross, where he was deployed to wildfire disasters in British Columbia and Fort McMurray, Alberta. Richard joined IABC in 1997, obtained his ABC designation in 2011, and had led at the chapter and regional levels in western Canada. He holds a Bachelor of Administration degree and a Certificate in Public Relations from the University of Regina. Richard believes in giving back both locally and globally through voluntary leadership roles.
Director at Large for a three-year term, Karen Matthews
Karen Matthews is the associate director of engagement at RMIT Europe and based in Barcelona, Spain. She has over 20 years of experience as a communications practitioner in industry, higher education, government and not-for-profit in Australia, Vietnam, Spain and Canada. At IABC, Karen is the current Past Chair EMENA Region and has previously served on the World Conference Planning Advisory Committee. In 2023, Karen received an honourable mention as IABC Rising Leader of the Year. Karen has a bachelor of journalism and a bachelor of business in public relations from the Queensland University of Technology in Australia and an M.A in international studies on media, power and difference from the School of Communication at Pompeu Fabra University in Spain.
Regional Director for a one-year term, Kane Choa
Kane Errol Choa, APR is the Vice President of Corporate Communications at ABS-CBN Corporation, a leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines. Kane is a communication leader with 30 years of experience in public relations, media, and the academe. He has served as Chair and Awards Director of IABC Asia Pacific and as Chair and President of IABC Philippines. His contributions to the field have been recognized with Gold Quill Awards, and he has played key roles on the Gold Quill Philippine Blue Ribbon Panel. Kane also imparts his expertise as a part-time faculty member at the University of Santo Tomas. He holds a Master of Science degree in Media and Communications with Merit from The London School of Economics and Political Science as a British Chevening scholar.
Regional Director for a one-year term, Kristie King, SCMP
Kristie King, SCMP, is a communication leader with more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, including health care and personal lines insurance. She leads the Agent and Agency Communication team at CSAA Insurance Group in California, USA. As part of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs, she leads sales communication along with the company’s catastrophe communication process. Her background includes internal communication, sales enablement, and change management. Kristie has held multiple IABC volunteer leadership roles with the San Francisco Bay Area chapter, as well as Vice Chair of the Pacific Plains region, and Chair of the United States region. She holds a B.A. in Communication from Santa Clara University and an M.A. in Communication and Leadership Studies from Gonzaga University.
Regional Director for a one-year term, Kaleigh Maclaren
Kaleigh Maclaren is a communication management professional based in Ottawa, Canada. She’s led communication and knowledge translation strategies for national nonprofits, associations, and a crown corporation, earning multiple IABC awards along the way. As Senior Communications Advisor at the Standards Council of Canada, Kaleigh brings a communication and brand strategy lens to corporate change initiatives. Recognized as a trusted advisor, she excels at connecting the dots between initiatives and people to build shared understanding. Kaleigh holds an Honours BA in Communication from the University of Ottawa. She’s received a United Way Ottawa Community Builder Award for her volunteer efforts. A strong commitment to the communication profession motivates Kaleigh’s active involvement in IABC. She’s a past President of IABC Ottawa and 2024–25 IABC Canada East Region Chair.
Regional Director for a one-year term, Camilla Osborne, SCMP
Camilla is a communications, marketing and reputation management specialist with over 16 years of experience. With a Masters from the London School of Economics, Camilla has a unique ability to apply corporate communications and marketing skills to her passion of development, health and environmental issues. Camilla is currently the Strategic Communications Lead for Project Last Mile, an organization that applies private sector expertise in marketing and communications to public health challenges in Africa. Previously she spent eight years at The Coca-Cola Company, with her last role being Head of Communications for Southern & East Africa, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She is a certified SCMP.
Regional Director for a one-year term, Monique Zytnik
Monique is an award-winning, global internal communication leader based in Berlin, Germany, and author of Internal Communication in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. She has worked internationally, presented on communication best practices at world conferences, and guest-lectured at universities. Her campaigns have been recognised by Gartner, Mumbrella CommsCon, and the Digital Communication Awards. She regularly shares her knowledge through industry publications and podcasts. She is currently the Chair of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) EMENA Region.
Regional Director for a one-year term, Wendy Thatcher, SCMP
Wendy is a self-professed ‘Jill of most Trades’ when it comes to her communications career that spans 20+ years. Interests and passions guided the industries in which she was fortunate to gain experience - education, conservation, community development, and now Indigenous healthcare. A primary career driver has always been to do work that contributes to some greater purpose.
She graduated from Simon Fraser University at the tail end of the last millennium with a business degree majoring in both marketing and comms. Since then, she’s been an IABC member of five Canadian chapters, a passionate chapter and region board leader. These pursuits help satisfy a passion for leadership, mentoring and influencing others’ professional growth.
She is surrounded at home by husband John, son Lucas and a Rhodesian Ridgeback named Lincoln.