The Institute of Public Relations (IPR) Ghana president, Esther Ambah Numaba Cobbah, has been elected as the next president of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA).

She becomes the first African to lead the 70-year-old global public relations body, headquartered in London.

Ms. Cobbah, Founder and Chief Executive of Strategic Communications Africa Ltd. (Stratcomm Africa), brings to the role over three decades of leadership in communications.

Her appointment affirms both her outstanding professional record and the growing influence of Africa in the global public relations arena.

Over the years, her visionary leadership has earned her numerous national and international honours, including IPR Ghana PR Personality of the Year (2013), CIMG Marketing Woman of the Year (2012), Outstanding Woman of the Year at the GOWA Awards (2022), recognition among the 50 Top Women in PR by PRNews USA (2015), and the IPRA United Nations Award for PR and Sustainable Development in 2016, presented to Stratcomm Africa.

Ms. Cobbah has also served as a distinguished judge on IPRA’s Golden World Awards for excellence in public relations, and for the past four years has been the only African member of IPRA’s Governing Board.

“We at IPR, Ghana, are immensely proud of this achievement,” said Peter Martey Agbeko, Chair of the IPR Ghana International Relations Committee.

“Esther Cobbah’s leadership is a beacon for Africa and for professional communicators across the world. Her rise to this global position is a testament to her lifelong commitment to excellence and ethical communication.”

Educated at Wesley Girls’ High School, the University of Ghana, and Cornell University in the United States, Ms. Cobbah has consistently championed communication as a tool for development.

Through Stratcomm Africa, which she established over 31 years ago, she has built a globally respected agency rooted in innovation, ethics, and impact.

Her presidency at IPRA is expected to usher in a new era of inclusion, global cooperation, and innovation in public relations worldwide.