#164: Rethinking the Table – Colleen Killingsworth & Amy Thurlow on Women’s Leadership in PR

The public relations is now a profession with more women than men – yet the number of women in leadership positions lag. In this episode, Colleen Killingsworth and Professor Amy Thurlow (Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, NS) unpack that paradox and share insights from their research behind their book Rethinking the Table: Women Leaders in Public Relations in Canada. Drawing on data, lived experience, and an intersectional lens, they explore some of the barriers: informal networks, credibility gaps, “emotional” labor, and the subtle norms that shape who advances and who gets overlooked. They also highlight the traits and strategies of women who are thriving – and what organizations, allies, and leaders can do to redesign the systems that determine access to power. The conversation spans Canada–U.S. comparisons, structural versus cultural challenges, and practical moves that can improve outcomes for women in PR leadership. A timely, candid, and essential discussion for communicators, executives, and anyone committed to building workplaces where leadership is recognized and rewarded.