Lisa is a model professional, and she’ll be missed in the region’s public relations industry (image source: Hill + Knowlton Strategies)

I don’t often write about people in our industry, but there’s always an exception. It’s with a heavy heart that I wish farewell to a public relations professional who has set the bar for our profession.

I first engaged with Lisa almost a decade back in 2006/2007, when I was working as a journalist and she was part of the technology team at Impact Porter Novelli (alongside Chuma Goodwin, Omnia Samra and Mohammad Zaher). She had a tough remit, which was to handle IPN’s tech clients which included HP and Google. Lisa was able to handle both client demands and the media effortlessly, going above and beyond to explain what her clients were doing to a media pack, many of whom had no IT background.

We both moved on (me back to the dark side and client-based marketing communications, her to a bigger agency role), but I kept looking in on her work. She joined H+K Strategies (to all of us old-timers, Gulf Hill and Knowlton), as a director. She rose up the ranks to the managing director for the UAE. She’s left her own legacy through a team and work that is among the best in the region’s industry. I’ve judged a good deal of H+K’s work recently, and it’s been of an exceptional standard. I can see Lisa’s attention to detail and her belief in measurement and outcomes shining through all that H+K is currently doing in the UAE.

Whenever we talked, I would often try to encourage Lisa to come and volunteer, either at MEPRA or with other public relations or communications bodies. Although I felt that she wanted to, she was as always honest and truthful; she said she didn’t have the time to commit. That’s one of the many reasons I respected Lisa; she cared about her reputation, and the reputation of the industry. I will miss her Northern wit, her integrity and her belief in always creating excellent work that would inspire others. I hope this is a goodbye and not farewell, Lisa!