Public Affairs Council Elects Peter Wilkinson as 2020-2021 Chair

Public Affairs Council Elects Peter Wilkinson as 2020-2021 Chair   

Washington – During its virtual board meeting this week, the Public Affairs Council elected Peter Wilkinson, global head, regulatory and public affairs at Manulife, as its 2020-2021 chair. Wilkinson is both the first Canadian and international chair to serve on the Council’s Board of Directors.

Peter Wilkinson, Global Head, Regulatory and Public Affairs, Manulife

Peter Wilkinson is a member of the global leadership team at Manulife, a Canadian company with global headquarters in Toronto. He advocates at the national and international levels to protect company interests, enable new business opportunities and grow shareholder value. An active member of the Public Affairs Council since the 1990s, Wilkinson has been a critical voice in advancing the mission of the organization.

As chair of the Council, Wilkinson will prioritize attracting more senior-level professionals of color and convening a diverse base of experts; improving the global reach of the Council; developing policy communications programming to better serve a pandemic and post-pandemic world; and building strong alliances with business and public policy schools.

“The challenges presented by the pandemic have been formidable, but so has the Council’s response.   Peter is the right leader at the right time to help guide us through this next phase of recovery, innovation and growth,” said Public Affairs Council President Doug Pinkham. “He has the experience of leading through times of great challenge, and the international public affairs expertise that is so important right now.”

The Council also announced new members to its Executive Committee and Board of Directors. New Executive Committee members include:

• Stephanie Childs, vice president of global government relations, Kimberly-Clark Corporation
• Molly Fogarty, senior vice president of corporate and government affairs, Nestle Inc.
• Genna Gent, vice president of U.S. government relations, McDonald’s Corporation
• Jeff Mascott, CEO, Adfero

View the Council’s Executive Committee.
View the Council’s Board of Directors.

About the Public Affairs Council
Both nonpartisan and nonpolitical, the Public Affairs Council is the leading association for public affairs professionals worldwide. The Council’s mission is to advance the field of public affairs and to provide its 700 member companies, associations and other nonprofits with the executive education and expertise they need to succeed while maintaining the highest ethical standards.