Meet our 2026 board
The NSW Chapter is led by a talented team of communication professionals with breadth and depth of skills and experience. The board manages the day to day operations, administration, and financials of the Chapter, representing the IABC at a local level.
Nominating board members are sponsored by existing IABC members and then subjected to the scrutiny of an evaluation committee. The NSW board works very closely with the other IABC Chapters across Australia, the Asia Pacific Region, and at an international level to ensure that our members extract exceptional value from their membership.
IABC members in good standing are encouraged to nominate themselves to join the IABC NSW board. The nomination process generally starts in September/October of each year with appointments endorsed at the IABC NSW Annual General Meeting.
If you are interested in serving on the Board next year, please reach out to the current President or Vice-President for more information.
Patrick Armstrong SCMP®
Principal, Communication - IAG
IABC NSW President
Patrick is a strategic communication management professional with over 20 years’ experience. His career has taken him around the globe spanning financial services, consultancy, government, higher education, IT, utilities and journalism. He specialises in corporate communication strategy, crisis management, employee engagement, and communication training. Patrick is a globally certified Strategic Communication Management Professional (SCMP®) and an academic at UNSW Business School where he educates in communications, marketing and brand management.
Rhys Kelly
Director, Rhys Kelly Communications Advisory
IABC NSW Co-Vice-President and Treasurer
Rhys is an executive leader with skills honed over 20 years in brand, communications, fundraising, crisis, media relations and public policy advocacy for the charity and independent school sectors.
Rhys consults with senior leaders on co-creating and enhancing communications strategies to strengthen organisational effectiveness, governance processes and deliver brand growth.
Rhys is an IABC Gold Quill winner (2025) and GAICD-certified through the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Lucy Hose SCMP®
Senior Communications Manager, HealthShare NSW
IABC NSW Co-Vice-President and Communications
Lucy is a senior communications and stakeholder engagement leader focused on delivering practical communication that enables business outcomes across large, complex systems. Specialising in strategic engagement, change and adoption communications. Lucy is SCMP® certified as well as holding a Chartered Institute of Marketing, Marketing Management Post-Graduate Diploma. These credentials reflect a commitment to global standards in strategy, ethics, crisis readiness and measurement.
Lucy has a clear, inclusive and outcomes driven approach, particularly in high pressure environments where timely, direct communication matters.
Megan Thomas SCMP®
Owner/Director
Buzz Communications
IABC NSW Immediate Past President
Megan is a strategic communication and change management leader. After more than two decades advising C-suite and heading up teams in financial and professional services, media, health insurance and government, Megan now runs her own consultancy, Buzz Communications. She loves helping organisations achieve outcomes that matter and is particularly active in the AI space.
Hallie Donkin
Communications Director, Mahlab
IABC NSW Board Director, Events
Hallie has more than 15 years’ experience in content and communications strategy and execution, having launched and managed programs to help clients across technology, financial services, health, education, leadership and more to build meaningful relationships and trusted reputations via media, events, publishing and social platforms. As Mahlab’s Communications Director, she helps clients understand their audiences and members, craft and tell their stories, and manage difficult issues.
Helen Pennock
Principal, Employee Communication, Retail Insurance Australia
IABC NSW Board Director, Secretary
Helen is a seasoned communications professional with over 25 years of experience in Marketing, event Management and Employee communication in the UK and Australia. Currently, she is an Internal Communications Business Partner at IAG, working across the NRMA Insurance and CGU brands. Helen excels at advising senior leaders on impactful communication strategies, creating engaging campaigns, and content that resonates with employees.
Mione Collins
Head of Marketing, Communication and Events, Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre
IABC NSW Board Director, Events
Mione is a communications and marketing leader with 20 years’ experience in Australia and the UK. She’s passionate about helping organisations tell their story, grow and protect their reputation through strategic, insight-based comms and marketing strategies.
In her current role Mione is responsible for the Centre's overall marketing, communications and events strategy development and implementation, and leading their Marketing, Communications & Events team.
After starting her career as a journalist and editor, Mione has spent time working across government, financial services and ESG/sustainability roles, specialising in financial services. She’s also spent a large portion of her career innovating communications and marketing functions in order to continually improve and reflect best practice.
Camille Penrose
Communications Coordinator, The Smith Family
IABC NSW Board Director, Communications
Camille is a marketing and strategic communications professional with more than four years’ experience shaping compelling brand narratives across digital and traditional channels. With experience spanning media intelligence, digital marketing, journalism and academic teaching, Camille brings a versatile skill set in content strategy, storytelling, and multi‑channel communication.
Camille leverages brand storytelling to connect people to purpose as a Communications Coordinator at The Smith Family. She also volunteers as a producer at her local radio station, bringing creativity and energy to community broadcasting. She is a passionate and an engaged contributor to Australia’s communications community.
Kate Neilson
Content Lead, Mahlab
IABC NSW Board Director, Communications
Kate has a decade of experience working in content. She is a Content Lead at Mahlab, a global business communications agency headquartered in Sydney, Australia. In this role, she leads the content program for the Australian HR Institute – leading a team of multidisciplinary experts to deliver a dynamic digital and print content program to inform, uplift and partner with AHRI's strong membership base. At Mahlab, she has also worked with clients across other industries, including psychology, accounting, small business, technology, government and more. Previously, she worked in content roles with the NSW Government and in the finance sector. You can find her doodling and writing about all things work on LinkedIn.
Phillippa Baume
Director, Communications & Engagement, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
IABC NSW Board Director, Membership
Phillippa Baume is a strategic communications leader with more than 20 years of experience across government, health, emergency services and regulatory environments. Her work spans legislative reform, digital transformation, crisis communications, community education and behavioural change campaigns.
Pip has a practical, people-centred approach – focusing on clear communication, accessible channels and positive experiences that build trust and long-term engagement. She holds a Master of Arts in Communication Management from the University of Technology Sydney and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of NSW.
Mahir Munot
Student and Social Media Team, 9News
IABC NSW, Board Associate
Mahir is a Gen-Z speaker, student leader and media professional. With diverse experience ranging across youth advisory, journalism and public speaking - he specialises in bridging communication gaps between generations, through delivering personal branding and communication skills workshops at universities, corporates and non-profit organisations across Sydney.
He currently works at 9News in their social media team, serves on the board of ActivateUTS and is pursuing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism)/Bachelor of Laws at UTS; where he continues to sharpen his multi-disciplinary communication expertise.
Senior Associate Director, APCO
IABC NSW Board Director, Professional and Regional Development
Ali is a public relations and communication consultant with 10 years of advisory experience across MENA. A former journalist, he focuses on media strategy, reputation management, current affairs, and strategic storytelling. He has led regional strategy for multinational and local clients across the public and private sectors, including start-up incubators, think tanks, policy research centres, and academic institutions, supporting leaders as they navigate the pressures of modern communication across traditional and digital platforms.
His work spans stakeholder engagement and strategic communication designed to build credibility and long-term trust. Ali holds a BA in Media and Communication and an MA in Communication and Media Studies from Monash University.
Kate Hamilton SCMP®
APAC Communications Manager, Weir Minerals
IABC NSW Board Director, Membership
Kate is a Corporate Communications Leader with 20 years’ experience in delivering communications for global and Australian companies.
An expert in developing and implementing internal communication strategies and managing internal channels, she aligns employees to strategy, supports organisational change and creates impactful messaging
Kate has worked on many complex, ambiguous and regulated projects in both the private and public sectors. She successfully partners with Executives to shape, tell and sell their stories to achieve change and enhance their leadership brand – both internally and externally. She’s passionate about turning complex information into simple, relevant and timely stories that inform and engage teams and stakeholders.