Introducing the PRINZ Code of Ethics Review Committee
Meet the PRINZ Code of Ethics Review Committee, a group established to lead a comprehensive review of our Code of Ethics.
The Code of Ethics guides members to uphold the highest standards of PR and Communications practice. The foundational values are advocacy, honesty, expertise, independence, loyalty and fairness. The Committee will ensure the Code of Ethics remains practical, relevant and reflective of professional practice in the current communications landscape.
Chair of the PRINZ Code of Ethics Review Committee
Hannah Neale is a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand and a Research Ethics and Governance Specialist with extensive experience in regulatory oversight, committee governance, and integrity frameworks across government and tertiary sectors. Her professional focus has been on strengthening research ethical standards, ensuring robust procedural frameworks, and supporting organisations to apply codes and legislation consistently and fairly in practice. Currently, she is the co-Director of New Zealand’s first private research ethics committee Independent Human Research Ethics Collective, as well as an independent consultant.
Andree Kai Fong is a communications and engagement professional with extensive experience in strategic communications, stakeholder engagement and public relations across complex organisational environments.
She recently earned a Bachelor of Applied Management with a focus on Communication and Engagement practice. This solidifies and underpins her evidence-based and people-centred approach to communication leadership.
Andree’s contribution to the profession has been recognised through several awards, including a PRINZ gold award this year for Inhouse team of the year. These awards acknowledge her ongoing commitment to excellence and professional standards.
Her experience spans stakeholder engagement, reputation management, brand management, strategic communication planning, media management, and organisational change.
In her spare time she is a keen golfer, terrible gardener, mum to two adult sons and main cheerleader for husband Ashley, also a golfer and the CEO of CrimeStoppers.
Laura Boucher is a communications and public relations professional and currently serves as Communications Team Leader at Bay of Plenty Regional Council. She began her career in journalism, working across regional and national publications, including in editorial roles within Bauer Media’s lifestyle magazine portfolio.
Since moving into public relations in 2016, Laura has worked both in agency settings and as an in-house advisor, supporting a range of organisations across Tauranga. At Bay of Plenty Regional Council, she leads a team of senior and intermediate communications professionals, providing strategic communications support across a broad range of regional functions and issues.
In this role, she is particularly interested in the importance of trusted and ethical communications in a complex and challenging public sector environment, and completed her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) in 2024 to further support her practice. She is grateful to be selected to join this rōpū and support this mahi.
Catherine Arrow LPRINZ FPRINZ FCIPR is a pioneer and recognised leader in public relations education and practice and was named Global Public Relations Practitioner of the Year at the World PR Awards. She works with professionals and organisations of all types to build capability, strengthen strategy and deliver meaningful outcomes.
As founder and director of PR Knowledge Hub, Catherine leads an independent learning centre that provides high-quality professional development for practitioners worldwide — in person, online and on demand. Her work spans organisational relations, internal communication, public engagement, advocacy, ethics, risk and reputation, with a central focus on the practical use of emerging technologies. Over the last decade, she has focused on exploring and communicating the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on public relations and society, providing critical training and guidance and launching the first global AI in PR Capability Certification in 2022. Catherine supports practitioners at all stages of their career, helping them navigate complexity, build trust and lead with purpose.
Catherine is a Life member and Fellow of the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, Accredited Fellow ASEAN PR Network and a Founding Chartered Public Relations Practitioner. She is a Member of the Commission on Public Relations Education and a Member of the Institute of Directors. Contributions to the public relations profession include her eight-year tenure as board member and Secretary of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management and she is an active member of the International Advisory Board for FERPI. A respected writer and speaker on the societal impacts of public relations, Catherine’s career has spanned the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and she is a recipient of the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand President’s Award for exemplary contribution to the profession.
Dr Deepti Bhargava is a Senior Lecturer and Head of Department, Advertising & Brand Creativity, Digital Communication and Public Relations at Auckland University of Technology (AUT). She teaches across various courses including Strategic Communication Planning, and the student led PR consultancy – Outside the Square. In these courses, she and her colleagues guide students to use research, planning, evaluation, and reflection as critical tools of PR success.
Deepti is passionate about the impact good public relations practice can have on organisations and communities and hopes to inspire the same in those she works with.
She is an Accredited Member and Fellow of PRINZ and previously served as Chief Examiner for the Accreditation Programme (2021–2023), for which she now serves as a moderator. Prior to joining AUT, Deepti worked in corporate communications, advertising, and feature writing.
Her research interests include culture, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), digital communication, Artificial Intelligence (AI), work-integrated learning (WIL), and public relations research, measurement, evaluation, and reflection.
