Grzegorz Szczepanski has been elected as vice-president of the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO).

The long-time industry leader fought off competition from four rivals to win the position which he will assume in October 2019. He will serve as vice-president for two years before becoming ICCO president in October 2021.

Szczepanski is currently CEO of Hill + Knowlton Strategies Poland, having held senior positions at Burson-Marsteller, Edelman, UniCredit and Heineken. He is the founder and first president of the Polish Public Relations Consultancies Association (ZFPR), which he brought into the ICCO network in 2001. In 2016, Szczepanski began a second period as ZFPR president.

The role of ICCO president is to lead the strategic vision and direction of the organisation, uniting a diverse membership around the most critical global PR issues. Szczepanski’s message to ICCO members focused on consolidating and reclaiming PR professionals’ position as reputation management experts that impactfully communicate truth.

Szczepanski says, “I believe PR professionals are destined to play a decisive role in shaping a stable future for humanity. As ICCO’s future president, I would focus on communicating the strong value proposition we offer to businesses, governments and the general public, enabling us to more frequently win our deserved seat in the most meaningful decision-making forums, both globally and regionally.”

Current president Elise Mitchell, representing the US' PR Council will finish her tenure in October and Nitin Mantri, president of the Public Relations and Communications Association of India (PRCAI), will move from the ICCO vice-presidency to the president seat, which he will occupy for the next two years.

The treasurer serves on the executive committee as well as exercising supervision over the organisation’s financial affairs. Alison Clarke for the PRCA in the UK was elected into this role, which she too will assume in October, replacing Andrey Barannikov, CEO of SPN Communications.

ICCO chief executive Francis Ingham says, “The ICCO board has been blessed with some outstanding leaders over recent times, who continue to drive our ever-expanding organisation and I look forward to working with another. Grzegorz will bring a wealth of international experience and a fresh perspective when he becomes our first Polish vice-president and later president.”