PRINZ reappoints Chief Examiner and Moderator for the 2026 APR programme
The Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) is pleased to welcome back Suzy Giles as Chief Examiner for the PRINZ accreditation (APR) programme, alongside the continuation of Dr Deepti Bhargava as Moderator for another year. APR provides practitioners an opportunity to demonstrate and verify the breadth and scope of their professional knowledge and ethical judgement across the entire body of knowledge of public relations and communications practice. It is designed to enhance the careers of the APR graduates by demonstrating their professional credibility and experience.
Suzy Giles MCIPR – Chief Examiner
Suzy is a communications and marketing professional with more than 20 years’ experience of working with in-house teams and clients. Suzy’s work covers branding, reputation management and strategy – with a special interest in sustainability. She works with clients across the globe, advising leaders and their teams on how to engage their audiences with authenticity and transparency.
Suzy is chair of the UNDP/ICCO Climate Communications Task Force and chair of the CIPR ESG Network. She is a judge for a number of global communications awards including the Davos PR awards and the ICCO Global Awards. Suzy moved to New Zealand in 2024, following 9 years working in The Netherlands, and now manages Giles Global Ltd, a consultancy specialising in sustainability communications. In her role as Chief Examiner for the second consecutive year, Giles will guide the APR candidates through the assessment process, ensuring they meet the high standard required to attain their accreditation.
Dr Deepti Bhargava APR FPRINZ– Moderator
Deepti 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 several courses, including the student-led PR consultancy Outside the Square, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Her research explores diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), digital communication, artificial intelligence (AI), work-integrated learning (WIL), and the skills and relational dynamics that underpin effective public relations practice, particularly client–consultant relationships and strategic communication planning and evaluation. Deepti is an Accredited Member and Fellow of the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ), where she recently served as Chief Examiner for its Accreditation Programme (2021–2023) and has contributed to several committees. Before joining academia, she worked in public relations, feature writing, and advertising. Dr Bhargava continues her role as Moderator for the third year, providing oversight of the examination process.
PRINZ Chief Executive Susanne Martin says, “The PRINZ Executive Committee and management are delighted to welcome back both Suzy and Deepti for 2026. Both are internationally renowned in their areas of expertise and this year’s APR candidates could not receive better guidance. We look forward to welcoming the newest crop of candidates to the programme.”
PRINZ believes the APR programme is in great hands with Giles and Dr Bhargava’s expertise for another year and are very excited to meet the new intake of candidates for 2026. Applications for the APR programme are open now and close on Friday 13th March 2026 at 5pm.
For more information about the PRINZ Public Relations Accreditation programme, visit https://prinz.org.nz/education-and-events/accreditation-in-public-relations-apr/
