Women in PR, an organisation supporting women in senior roles in the PR industry and part of the PRCA, has announced the election of the new joint-presidents to oversee the organisation’s 50th anniversary year.

Angela Oakes, MD at Treehouse PR, and Susan Hardwick, who runs a media relations consultancy, will lead the UK’s oldest all-female professional group during the implementation of its 50th anniversary programme.

Oakes and Hardwick issued a joint statement, in which they said, “We are delighted to have the opportunity of taking WPR forward at such an interesting stage in its history. We believe it is a significant platform for senior women working in the field of public relations and is just as relevant today for its members as when the organisation was started, back in 1963.”

The organisation may be increasingly prevalent as the European community and the Government debate implementing a 30% quota to ensure the presence of women on corporate boards. The PR industry, however, suffers no such hurdles in attracting women to its ranks. In the UK, 64% of PR professionals are women, however that number does decrease as women move up the ladder into management positions. Francis Ingham, chief executive of the PRCA, says that Women in PR provides a valuable resource for women in the industry and the incoming presidents will oversee a strong programme of events in 2013.