Advita Patel

Founder of CommsRebel & Co-founder, Asian Communications Network

Advita is a seasoned expert in internal communication and employee experience. As the founder of CommsRebel, she's helped numerous organisations cultivate inclusive cultures, through the power of effective communication. With more than two decades worth of experience, Advita is committed to helping leaders understand how communication can transform cultures so their colleagues can thrive rather than just survive.

In addition to her work with CommsRebel, Advita is a co-founder of A Leader Like Me, a global inclusive communication consultancy designed to help organisations cultivate a space for everyone. She's also a co-founder of Asian Communications Network, a community designed to help South and East Asian communication professionals thrive.

As a sought-after international speaker, podcaster and confidence coach, Advita has shared her expertise on a range of topics, including internal communications, change management, inclusion, and confidence. Her insights are informed by her dedication to professional development which has led her to become a Chartered PR professional and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR).

Advita has been recognised by numerous organisations for her work. In 2022, she was named on the Northern Asian Power list and received the Emerging Leader Award. And in 2024, she was recognised as one of the top global employee engagement and experience influencers by Inspiring Workplaces.

In June 2023 she published a book she co-authored with Priya Bates called Building a Culture of Inclusivity. The book is a guide to help leaders and communication professionals cultivate inclusive cultures in their organisation.

In January 2025, she started her tenure as the Chartered Institute of Public Relations President.

Mary Njoki

Founder & CEO. Glass House PR

Mary Njoki is the visionary CEO and Founder of Glass House PR Ltd, an award-winning Pan-African PR agency renowned for its tailored approach to client success. Passionate about empowering Africans to own and articulate their narratives, Mary established Glass House PR in 2012 at the age of 23. Under her dynamic leadership, the agency has successfully spearheaded campaigns for over 100 organizations, including global powerhouses like Facebook, Uber, Viber, Oppo, Access Bank, Nissan and Verto as well as governmental bodies from Zanzibar and Ethiopia.

Mary's commitment to shaping Africa's future extends beyond Glass House PR. She is also the founder of the Africa Digital Finance Summit (ADFS), a platform dedicated to discussing and shaping the future of finance in Africa and Billion Startups, a mentorship initiative that champions entrepreneurs in building sustainable and visible brands. Her leadership prowess was further highlighted by the launch of The Glass House PR Report 2025, a comprehensive analysis of trends, challenges, and opportunities within Africa’s PR industry, featuring insights from leading voices across the continent.

Awarded severally for her significant contributions in the industry, Mary has also served as a distinguished judge for prestigious international PR and communication competitions, including the SABRE Awards 2025 and the BAPRA Bright Awards 2025. Under her astute guidance, Glass House PR achieved a historic milestone as the first African firm to gain direct membership in the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO).

Mary Njoki continues to be a driving force, championing innovation, mentorship, and transformative storytelling across Africa.

Elsie Ofulue

Executive Director, Morgan Stanley

Elsie Ofulue is a seasoned communications professional and currently serves as Executive Director at Morgan Stanley.

In her capacity as Executive Director at Morgan Stanley, Elsie oversees EMEA Internal Communication for Technology. She works collaboratively with the office of the EMEA Chief Information Officer and senior management to design and execute strategic internal communication initiatives. These efforts are intended to foster engagement between employees and senior leadership through mentorship programmes, blogs, and open forums, thereby ensuring alignment with the firm’s global strategic objectives.

Elsie’s professional journey commenced in 2007, shifting from a sales position at a financial institution to an internal communications role following her proactive efforts to address communication challenges within the organisation. Over the course of eighteen years, she has refined her skills in presentation, stakeholder management, and strategic planning, which have significantly contributed to her current leadership role.

Elsie Ofulue’s dynamic career and personal journey exemplify her commitment to effective communication and her unwavering personal values.

Professional Profile of Mrs Hadiza Umar (FNIPR)

Director of Corporate Communications & Media Relations at the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)

Mrs Hadiza Umar is a highly motivated and personable Public Relations Professional with over 29 years of post-graduation experience spanning journalism, media, and public Relations Department. She currently serves as the Director of Corporate Communications & Media Relations at the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Abuja, where she supervises the general administration of the department and manages the agency's corporate image.

Throughout her tenure, she has been instrumental in developing corporate communication master plans, issuing press releases on IT initiatives, and partnering with regulatory agencies to shape proactive messaging on critical public policy issues. Known for her exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, she possesses an expert-level understanding of online, social, print, and broadcast media landscapes. Her extensive career trajectory includes previous roles at the National Broadcasting Commission, the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria and the Abuja Mirror Newspaper.

Her distinguished professional standing is solidified by high-level Fellowships in the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (Chartered), the African Public Relations Association, and the Institute of Corporate Administration.

A testament to her unwavering commitment to excellence, her career is marked by a series of prestigious accolades. Most recently, she was honored with the 2025 NIPR/IMPR National Spokesperson Award (Digital Economy) in recognition of her exemplary work in strategic communication, and she was named to the 2025 PR Power List under the "Raising Voices" category by GLG Communications. Her leadership has been consistently celebrated through various landmarks, including being named one of Nigeria’s Top 50 Digital Economy Enablers in 2023, receiving the Outstanding Leadership Achievement Award from the Advance Management Academy, and being recognized as the Outstanding Public Sector Servant by the Digivation Network in 2021.

Earlier recognitions include being named the Corporate Communications Manager of the Year at the Nigeria @60 ICT Hall of Fame Awards and receiving the 2020 NITRA Merit Award for Most Outstanding Public Relations Practitioner among others. Collectively, these honours underscore her position as a leading voice and a transformative force within Africa’s public relations and digital communications landscape.

Dr Rafiat Gawat

Head, Corporate Communication, TGI Group

Rafiat Gawat is a highly accomplished corporate communications and public affairs leader with over 16 years of experience across diverse industries and multicultural environments. She is the Group Head of Corporate Communications at Tropical General Investments Group (TGI), a conglomerate operating over 20 subsidiaries across 13 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Rafiat oversees communications across these geographies and business verticals.

She also facilitates, on behalf of the Group, high-level discussions on Africa's development at institutions such as Harvard University, Oxford University, and so on. She oversees TGI’s public engagements with bodies such as AFREXIM Bank, NESG (National Economic Summit Group), Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Corporate Council on Africa, American Business Council, among others.

She has a Doctorate in Business Administration specialising in Business Strategy, Sustainability Communication and Change Management, and has published academic papers on same. She is an Associate Member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, UK.

Faith Senam Ocloo

PR Consultant, Nueva Comms & Founder, Women in PR Ghana

Faith Senam Ocloo is an Accra-based PR Consultant and founder of Nueva Communications Ltd, with over 13 years of experience across public relations, strategic communications, brand marketing, events and project management, and social media strategy.

Since establishing her agency in 2012, she has led and consulted on high-impact PR and communications campaigns for fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands, helping businesses build visibility, credibility, and meaningful relationships with key stakeholders through strategic storytelling and media engagement. She also offers strategic communications services to brands in other sectors including health, technology, fintech, travel amongst others.

Faith is the founder of Women in Public Relations Ghana, a non-profit organisation dedicated to mentorship, leadership development, and career advancement for women in public relations. She is a member of the Institute of Public Relations, Ghana, and holds degrees from the African University College of Communications (AUCC) and the University of Leicester, UK.

She is also the Co-Founder of Melange Africa, a platform dedicated to spotlighting African creativity and industry conversations across fashion and culture.

Eduvie Martins

Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at Comic Republic

Eduvie serves as Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at Comic Republic, Africa's largest comic book and animation studio, bringing communications leadership to a studio that has secured deals with Universal Studios Group, and earned media across five continents, all while retaining full creative ownership of its intellectual property.

She is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPR and one of the most respected and widely recognised internal communications professionals in the UK, Eduvie has spent nearly two decades at the forefront of strategic communications, operating across corporate boardrooms, global stages and the creative industries with equal authority and impact.

As Group Communications and Engagement Manager at British American Tobacco, a FTSE 10 global company, she is the trusted communications partner to Management Board members, delivering strategy and content that reaches 42,000 colleagues across 200 markets. She has a rare gift for making complex organisational narratives feel human, relevant and worth reading.

Her contribution to the profession extends far beyond any single organisation. As Past President of IABC UK and Ireland and Regional Chair of the IABC EMENA Gold Quill, she has shaped how communications excellence is recognised and developed across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. She is a sought-after speaker, a generous mentor, and the creator of the UROCK framework, a strategic positioning system that is redefining how communications professionals think about career resilience. When she launched it before an international audience of communications leaders in Warsaw, it was described in the room as a movement.

Her awards reflect the breadth of that influence: Internal Communications Professional of the Year at the Google-sponsored PRO Awards, IABC Chapter Leader of the Year, Best Internal Comms Rising Star at the Gallagher Awards, and PR Woman of the Month from the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.