Board

Richard Kies, SCMP, ABC – Chair  |   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.
View Richard's LinkedIn profile.

Andrew Morrison, SCMP, ABC – Vice Chair  |   Andrew Morrison SCMP®, ABC, is a senior strategic communication director, consultant, and ICF coach with a passion for international business, corporate reputation, and crisis communication, including over 30 years of in-house and agency experience. Andrew currently works as an interim consultant and independent communications practitioner with a track record in multinational companies in food, nutrition, beverages, flavors, alcohol, life sciences, chemicals, energy, commodities, technology, financial, and professional services. Andrew is former chair of the IABC Global Ethics Committee, serving a four-year term and was previously a member of IABC’s Risk & Audit Committee. He has been a Gold Quill Awards judge for four years and was IABC Swiss Chapter President 2010-2012, where he grew membership, revenues, and opportunities for IABC members in partnership with his fellow committee members. A British national, Andrew has lived in the UK and Switzerland, and worked in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
View Andrew’s LinkedIn profile.

Anuja Kale Agarwal – Past Chair  |  Anuja is an accomplished global communications professional, with over 30 years of experience in communications, in the insurance, banking, financial and professional services industry in Asia, US and Canada. She is currently the National Communications Director at PwC Canada. Anuja is also actively engaged in CSR and DEI initiatives, and has served on several Diversity and Inclusion Councils. She is currently serving as the Chair of the IABC Global DEI Committee, and is the Co-chair of the DEIB Special Interest Group, IABC. In her free time, Anuja coaches and mentors graduate students and young executives on building their personal brand and executive presence. She is also a guest speaker and writer on topics such as leadership communication and engagement. She holds an MBA in Marketing and has a Bachelor of Commerce, with a specialization in Advanced Accounting and Auditing.
View Anuja's LinkedIn profile.

Tammy Nienaber, SCMP – Secretary/Treasurer  |  Tammy is the director of global communication, Anytime Fitness at Purpose Brands, LLC, where she leads a team developing strategies and content that drive engagement, alignment, and adoption of priority initiatives for clubs worldwide. With nearly two decades of experience as a strategic partner to franchise brand executive teams, her expertise spans franchisee engagement, executive and internal communication, and change management. An IABC member since 2007, Tammy has served the association in a range of volunteer leadership roles across multiple chapters and regions, including past chair of the Minnesota Chapter, vice president of membership for the Orange County California Chapter, past chair of the Pacific Plains Region, and US Region Finance Director. She was part of the inaugural class to earn the SCMP certification and holds an MA in management from the University of Mary.
View Tammy's LinkedIn profile.

Kamaria Hill – Director  |   Kamaria S. Hill is a visionary brand marketer and political communication strategist with more than 10 years of experience influencing public policy and legislation; shaping public opinion in digital media through creative storytelling; and restoring public trust with clarity, alignment, and purpose. Her communication and PR experience spans political relationships with Vice President Kamala Harris, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, Senior Advisor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and Roland Martin. As Founder of One SSU, Incorporated, Kamaria delivers deep knowledge and expertise in Georgia’s political and higher education landscape, with a commitment to strengthening state oversight and governance, and advocating for resource equity for disenfranchised institutions. Kamaria's mission is clear: build systems that perform and people who thrive! She contributes meaningful scholarly research and policy analysis through the National Urban League Policy Institute, City of Chicago Mayoral Fellows Program, and the Georgetown Public Policy Review. Kamaria is a certified political campaign manager and well known across the HBCU community for her investment in campus and student advocacy – building the next generation of civically engaged, spiritually aware, and politically conscious leaders. Kamaria earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree from Savannah State University, and holds membership in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, the National Council of Negro Women, Inc., the Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta Young Professionals Board, and the Junior League of Greater Atlanta.
View Kamaria's LinkedIn profile.

Karen Matthews – Director |  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 (Public Relations) from the Queensland University of Technology in Australia and an MA in international studies on media, power, and difference from the School of Communication at Pompeu Fabra University in Spain.
View Karen's LinkedIn profile.

Opeyemi Adeyemi, SCMP – Regional Director | Opeyemi (Yemi) Adeyemi is a strategic business leader with over 20 years of cross-cultural experience in communication and public relations, human resource management and industrial relations, marketing, and business development, garnered across key economic sectors: banking, consulting, manufacturing, and energy. His current role entails stakeholder management for one of the world's biggest gas companies and its subsidiaries; developing and managing the implementation of community relations policies, plans, strategies and social performance to ensure that they compare favorably with best practices, mitigate the impact of the company’s presence and operations in the communities, and engender meaningful and sustainable impact that is relevant to local needs and aligned with the company's business objectives.

Brandon Babcock – Regional Director  |   Brandon Babcock is an experienced content marketing and strategic communication professional based in West Des Moines, IA, with more than 18 years of experience helping organizations cut through complexity, drive decision-making, and deliver impactful messaging. He currently serves as manager of content marketing at F&G, where he leads content initiatives that align business goals with audience needs, building on prior senior roles in marketing, communication, and content strategy at Sammons Financial Group and Principal Financial Group. In addition to his corporate work, he is a dedicated leader and volunteer with IABC, previously holding numerous leadership roles at the regional and chapter levels, contributing to organizational strategy, governance, and professional development in the field. He began his career as a journalist, working as a reporter for several newspapers, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and mass communication from Iowa State University.

Simon Cavendish, SCMP – Regional Director  |   Simon specializes in providing interim and fractional comms leadership support. Leveraging his nearly 20 years of experience in companies like IKEA, Springer Nature, KPMG, and Deloitte, Simon has worked with global and multinational organizations in 20+ countries across four continents. Simon has served as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, built and grown new internal communication functions, managed teams, and led complex change and transformation programs. From crisis communication to strategic events to narrative and storytelling and ESG reporting, Simon’s breadth and depth of expertise provides robust, integrated support to every team. Simon is the current chair for the EMENA Region of IABC and is a Strategic Communication Management Professional (SCMP), the highest global professional communication certification in the world.

Amanda LeNeve, SCMP – Regional Director  |   Amanda LeNeve is a strategic communication and marketing leader based in Edmonton, Alberta, with extensive experience leading corporate communication functions across the utilities and financial services sectors. She currently serves as assistant vice president of communication and marketing at Central 1, where she has advanced through several senior roles, including interim head and director of communication, guiding organizational messaging and overseeing both internal and external communication strategies. In addition to her corporate work, she has taught strategic communication at MacEwan University and is an active volunteer with IABC, where she has held multiple board and executive roles, including chair of the Canada West Region. Amanda holds a Bachelor of Arts in communication from Simon Fraser University, a public relations diploma from MacEwan University, and the Strategic Communication Management Professional (SCMP) designation.

Kaleigh Maclaren – Regional Director  |   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 communication 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 Honors 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.
View Kaleigh’s LinkedIn profile.

Barbara Pesel – Regional Director |  Barbara Pesel is managing director of Pesel & Carr, having founded the organisation in 1997. She also serves as the chair of the IABC Asia Pacific Region. With decades of experience, she specializes in leading communication strategies across diverse industries, helping organizations anticipate and address challenges through effective crisis and issues management. Throughout her career, Barbara has worked closely with senior business leaders, advising them on how to balance complex organizational priorities while developing tailored communication strategies that deliver meaningful and measurable results. She is a strong advocate for elevating the role of communication professionals within leadership, firmly believing the craft is essential to sustainable business success. She has contributed to several boards and actively participates in IABC initiatives, including chairing the Gold Quill Awards panel for Australia and New Zealand. Each of these experiences has deepened her commitment to championing the power of communication to drive positive change.