Burson global client lead Michelle Hutton returns to CommsCon 2026
Michelle Hutton, global chief growth and client officer at Burson returns to Commscon
Mumbrella’s CommsCon conference will return on 25 March 2026, with the program adding a new roundtable format for the first time: a no-holds-barred discussion where all questions are welcome.
Burson’s global chief client and growth officer, Michelle Hutton, is to return to the CommsCon stage to facilitate the roundtable on gender inequity.
Co-led by Helen Graney, chair of Global Women in PR Australia, the roundtable will explore annual research from GWP that revealed gender discrimination remains rampant within the comms and PR sector.
Hutton, the-then CEO of Edelman Australia, was one of the founding members of the CommsCon advisory panel when the event launched in 2013.
Designed to connect senior industry leaders in a candid environment, the discussions will be held under the Chatham House Rule and will cover critical issues facing the PR and comms sector.
These will include, but not be limited to, the impact of AI on communications and media, the need for credible data sources when engaging with media, and gender inequality across the industry.
Two additional sessions have also been confirmed for the packed program.
Communities, Commentators and Creators: The New Front Line of Reputation will explore why audiences are increasingly placing trust in creators and new media outlets, and what that shift means for communications and reputation strategy.
Hannah Ferguson, CEO of Cheek Media, will be joined by Daniel Klug, Omnicom’s director of new media, and Hayley Saddleton, head of business marketing at Reddit ANZ, to discuss how credibility is built in creator-led ecosystems and why traditional media dynamics do not always translate to feeds and forums.
The panel will examine the role of authenticity, consistency and community participation in driving attention and influence, as well as the risks that arise in fast-moving, personality-led environments.
The session will also provide practical guidance for PR professionals looking to work more effectively with creators and influencers, including briefing and guardrails, disclosure expectations and approaches to measuring impact beyond reach and impressions.
Hannah Ferguson, CEO, Cheek Media
Elsewhere in the program, Sefiani managing partner Mandy Galmes will lead a panel discussion entitled Reputation at Risk: When silos become your biggest liability.
The session will explore the tension between agencies reorganising around influence and reputation in a landscape where many in-house teams continue to operate in silos with conflicting KPIs and fragmented budgets.
Sefiani’s Mandy Galmes will guide a panel looking at how comms teams can navigate operational silos
Galmes’ panellists will include Johanna Lowe, chief marketing and communications officer from the University of Sydney, Tom Telford, chief digital officer of Clarity Global UK and Brad Pogson, Lendi Group’s head of communications.
They will examine how comms and marketing teams can connect earned, owned, social and paid into a single system, and discuss why breaking down silos is now a reputational requirement.
Previously announced sessions demonstrate the program’s focus on communications as a strategic function, with a focus on measurement, public affairs, independent agency growth and the operational impact of AI.
Among these is a provocative keynote by communications veteran Peter Wilkinson outlining why the CMO should report to the chief reputation officer,
Uber and Poem will share a case study on measuring earned attention and linking it to indicators such as search behaviour, brand lift and paid media efficiency.
There will also be a session on the communications campaign that supported Murujuga’s successful 2025 UNESCO World Heritage nomination amid misinformation, alongside an education deep-dive for independent agencies on positioning local earned ideas for global clients.
On a technical front, delegates can also hear about the myths and ethics on the frontline of AI and misinformation, including a collaborative exercise to outline principles for an industry code of practice.
Other sessions include how to master multi-generational workforce dynamics, and a greenwashing masterclass to teach comms professionals how to stay on the right side of the law when making environmental and ethical claims.
The event will be held at Crown Sydney, followed by the CommsCon Awards that evening. Early bird tickets are available here.
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