The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and the Taylor Bennett Foundation have launched the fourth cohort of their award-winning Reverse Mentoring Programme, designed to accelerate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) progress across the public relations and communications industry.
Now entering its fourth year, the scheme has grown by 50% – a powerful signal that, despite mounting pressure and scrutiny on DEI initiatives, many agencies and in-house teams are reaffirming their commitment to building inclusive cultures. Participating organisations in 2025 include BT, Virgin Money, Freuds, MONY Group, and others.
Over the next 10 months, 20 senior leaders from across the industry will be paired with PR and comms professionals from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds. These partnerships are designed to spark candid conversations, challenge bias, and drive cultural change by allowing senior leaders to hear first-hand experiences from underrepresented voices in the industry.
While others are scaling back, this scheme is scaling up. The 50% growth in participation sends a clear message: the UK PR industry is not retreating on DEI. Leaders want to listen, learn, and lead differently – and we’re here to help make that happen. This is about action, not optics.
Koray Camgöz, Chief Executive Officer at the Taylor Bennett Foundation
Real change requires real, and sometimes difficult, conversations – and that’s what this scheme delivers. It’s not always easy, but the results speak for themselves. We’ve seen organisations begin to rethink recruitment and progression through this process. That’s the kind of impact we need to sustain to build a diverse industry that can succeed in this era of constant change and challenge
Avril Lee MCIPR, Chair of the CIPR Diversity and Inclusion Forum
- All participants were carefully selected and matched through a joint process led by the CIPR and the Taylor Bennett Foundation, drawing on a wide pool of agency and in-house professionals across sectors.
- The programme will run until February 2026.
