The CIPR has awarded Dr Kevin Ruck, co-founder of the PR Academy, an honorary fellowship. It has been given “for his significant contribution to the field of internal communication and public relations more generally” the trade body announced.
Honorary fellowships are granted in recognition of “exceptionally outstanding services to the Institute and/or the development of the public relations profession,” it said.
Ruck is one of 40 honorary fellows, which include the likes of Anne Gregory, professor emeritus of corporate communication at the University of Huddersfield, Jane Wilson, director of external affairs, George Watson's College, and Simon Lewis, former communications secretary to The Queen.
The list also includes Ruck’s wife, and PR Academy co-founder, Ann Pilkington, who was made an honorary fellow last year.
CIPR president Advita Patel said: “I’d like to congratulate Kevin on his Honorary Fellowship and thank him for his immense contribution to the CIPR and PR practice. As co-founder of PR Academy he has played a pivotal role in professionalising the industry.”
She added: “His contributions to the global conversation and research on communication measurement and strategic PR has advanced understanding of employee engagement, leadership communication, and organisational design for many years and for thousands of professionals.”
Ruck started out at BT, where he worked in customer service, community engagement and internal communication roles, before co-founding the PR Academy in 2007 and developing the internal comms certificate and diploma courses for the CIPR.
He is the editor and co-author of Exploring Internal Communication, leads the European affiliate group of the Internal Communication Research Hub, and sits on the editorial advisory board of the Journal of Communication Management.
“When I started my career, there were very few PR books and no qualifications in the UK. How different things are now. Qualifications have become firmly established as the bedrock of professionalism and there is a very wide range of publications and courses available for practitioners,” Ruck said.
“Over the past 25 years as a CIPR member, the increasing focus on continuing professional development fortuitously coincided with my career move into teaching and academic research. As the co-founder of PR Academy, it has been incredibly satisfying and rewarding to see the ways that students gain knowledge and confidence from their studies,” he added.