Sarah Ogden has spent over 25 years at the heart of agency life. She has built and successfully led teams across some of the most significant moments of change the industry has encountered. In this episode of PR in the Real World, Tony sits down to talk to Sarah about becoming an MD at 28, what really holds PR and communications teams back and what the Zeno Group’s recently published Clarity 2030 research reveals about the industry.

Embracing leadership as a mindset: Sarah believes leadership is a skill that should be cultivated in everyone, from the employees working in the front of house right through to the individuals ordering the stationery. Cultivating that ambition across the whole team, she argues, is what keeps everyone engaged and motivated.

The comms role is growing faster than the support around it: After 25 years in the industry, Sarah is now the Chief Client Officer for Europe at ZenoGroup, a global communications agency. Published just last month, Zeno’s Clarity 2030 research spoke to 1,400 communications professionals and found that 72% of the sector’s leaders expect their influence to grow significantly by 2030, but only 29% feel ready for it. For Sarah, the research reveals that the complexity of the job is outpacing the availability of resources.

The basics still win the day: In her wealth of experience, Sarah has sat in many meetings where seasoned comms professionals have turned to sophisticated AI tools to find new ways to engage people, only to end up back at tried and trusted methods. Own channels, LinkedIn and trade media with consistent messaging remain just as important as they ever were. For Sarah, the irony is that you can use something as sophisticated as AI and still rely on the tried and tested fundamentals.

Building good relationships = good PR: Sarah has always loved the earlier Public Relations and Communications Association definition of PR, as the management of strategic relationships. It is something she returns to with every team she works with, because at its core, communications is about understanding people, how to relate to them and how to form relationships with them.

Senior professionals have a duty to provide pathways for the next generation: Sarah is honest about something she sees happening across the industry, including in herself. Using AI to perform tasks once given to young employees. Combined with the decline of in-office learning since COVID, young professionals are losing exposure to develop the learning that previous generations once benefited from. Sarah has spent 25 years at the centre of the industry, leading teams through downturns, acquisitions and some of the biggest shifts the profession has seen. Whether you are just starting out in the industry or have been leading teams for years, her conversation with Tony is one worth listening to.