Board

Kamyar Naficy – Chair  |  Kamyar Naficy is managing director of Alberin, a strategic communications consultancy for finance, technology and sustainability. With over 20 years of experience, Kamyar advises clients in the US, Europe and the Middle East on all aspects of corporate, financial and marketing communications. Prior to working at Alberin, Kamyar held senior communications positions at JP Morgan, London Stock Exchange Group and UniCredit. Earlier in his career, he worked in investment banking and management consulting. He holds a BA from the London School of Economics and a MPhil in Management Studies from Cambridge University.
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Anuja Kale Agarwal – Vice 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.
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Maliha Aqeel, PMP, SCMP, MC – Past Chair  |  Maliha Aqeel, PMP, SCMP, MC, is Founder & CEO of The Ideas Collective Inc., an independent consulting firm bringing brand purpose to life through content, customers and culture. She has worked in corporate and agency roles for almost 20 years, connecting the dots between brand, marketing and communications to drive business objectives. She is a long-time IABC volunteer and is a regular speaker at industry conferences. She has won several IABC Gold Quill awards for brand development, content marketing, publications and internal communications, including two Gold Quill “Best of the Best” awards for employee engagement and COVID-19 response management and communications.
View Maliha’s LinkedIn profile .

Ed Kamrin, SCMP – Secretary/Treasurer  |  Based in San Francisco, Ed has more than 25 years of communications experience. He heads a consulting agency specializing in change communications, corporate social impact, and sustainability reporting services for large and mid-sized organizations. An IABC member since 2007, Ed has served the organization in many key roles, including chapter president, region chair, and chair of the Gold Quill Awards. After graduating with high honors from Swarthmore College, Ed worked in Finland for eight years, where he completed postgrad studies at the University of Helsinki.
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John Harris – Director  |  John Harris is a communications consultant in Austin, Texas, working since 1991 in the public and private sectors for the agency and corporate sides. An IABC member since 2004, he held leadership positions at the chapter and region levels, and was IABC Region Leader of the Year as Southern Region chair for 2022. Earlier he was president of the Houston and Austin chapters. As a volunteer, John helps lead an Austin organization that assists people experiencing homelessness or needing financial help. Before returning to Austin, he was a senior VP at Houston First, serving the city’s convention and entertainment facilities. He started in newspapers and holds a bachelor of journalism degree from The University of Texas.
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Matt Tidwell  Ph.D. – Director  | Matt is assistant dean for graduate and professional studies at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications. He is also a faculty lecturer and the program director for the Integrated Marketing Communications graduate degree program at the KU Edwards Campus. Matt is an experienced marketing communications professional with more than 25 years of industry experience working in health care, energy and technology companies. In 2018, Matt received the Arthur Lowell “Communicator of the Year” award from the Kansas City Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).
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Ellen Vander Linden, SCMP – Regional Director  |  Ellen Vander Linden, An independent consultant with more than 20 years of experience in communications and marketing. Her work spans a variety of industries: consumer goods, health care, higher education, manufacturing, medical device, nonprofit and retail. Prior to starting her consulting career, Ellen spent nine years with consumer electronics retailer Best Buy Co., Inc. focused on internal communications for the company’s 150,000 employees. She is a committed IABC volunteer and served in chapter leadership roles (finance, communications, and sponsorship) with both the Austin and Minnesota chapters. Ellen resides in Minnesota today where she continues to lead the East Metro Community Group. As vice chair and chair of the Pacific Plains region, she oversaw region consolidation and formation of the United States region. An Iowa State University graduate, Ellen earned her bachelor’s degree in Marketing and is a certified Strategic Communication Management Professional (SCMP).
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Richard Kies, ABC – Regional Director  |   Richard is a non-profit leader with over 20 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.
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Marie Fitzpatrick, ABC, BA - Journalism, Chair IABC CER – Regional Director  |   Marie is Founder and CEO of Fitzpatrick Communications and teaches writing and communications for Conestoga College. With more than 20 years of experience, Marie brings a unique perspective to her work as a former TV anchor and journalist. As a trusted strategic advisor, she’s counseled City Managers and Mayors of the largest cities in Canada, as well as CEOs and industry leaders. As an internationally awarded communicator in corporate and crisis communications, public relations, marketing and media relations, she brings a contagious energy to all her projects with the ability to crystallize ideas for bottom line results. As an avid storyteller, she inspires teams to tell meaningful stories that create a ‘wow’ factor for audiences. A steadfast champion of IABC, she’s been a member for more than 20 years holding positions of Chair of the Canada East Region, the second largest region in the world, Vice President on the regional aboard and President at the Chapter level. She holds a degree in Journalism and certificate in Public Relations from Ryerson University (Professors Peter Mansbridge - CBC’s The National and Mark Starowicz - The Journal), and a certificate from the DeGroote School of Business in Effective Risk and Crisis Communication.
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Kane Errol Choa, APR – Regional Director  |   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. 
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Dr. Amanda Atwell, ABC, CPRP, IABC Fellow, FGSCE – Regional Director | Dr. Amanda Hamilton-Attwell, PhD, ABC, CPRP, IABC Fellow, FGSCE, is a trailblazer in the field of business communication, with a career spanning over four decades. As the founder and Executive Director of BusinessDNA, she has been at the forefront of offering specialised communication services to companies in Africa. Amanda holds a PhD in Communication Science from the University of South Africa. She is an accredited Business Communicator (ABC) and a Fellow of the International Association for Business Communicators (IABC) and the Centre for Strategic Communication Excellence (CSCE). She has chaired the IABC Africa Region several times, served as an IABC Research Foundation Trustee, the IEB, and co-chaired the IABC Career Road Map team. In 2014, Dr Hamilton-Attwell received the IABC Chairman's Award, and as a member of the team that developed the Career Assessment Tool for Communication Professionals, the Rae Hamblin Award in 2021.
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Karen Mattews –Regional 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 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.
View Karen's LinkedIn profile.