From DEI Champion to Regional Leader: Celebrating David Rudd’s Next Chapter with IPREX
At IPREX, some of the most powerful stories are the ones that happen within our own network — people who show up, give generously of their time and expertise, and grow into leaders who shape the direction of our community. David Rudd, Executive Vice President of Rudd Resources in Chicago, is one of those people. After two years leading the IPREX Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, David is stepping into a new role as Americas Regional President this Spring. We sat down with him to reflect on his time as DEI Chair, what the work has meant to him, and what he's looking forward to as he takes on this new chapter in the network.
David Rudd, Executive Vice President of Rudd Resources and Americas Regional President
On his journey with IPREX
Q: David, can you tell us a bit about yourself, Rudd Resources and what your agency does?
I was always a co-owner of my own company, Rudd Resources, but I became a full-time employee of our agency in 2019. Rudd Resources has been a dedicated public relations agency since 2014. My wife started the agency with a vision that it would grow to be a full-fledged company, more than a one-person organization. Today, Rudd Resources is an award-winning agency that employs more than 20 people, and we service large government and private sector enterprises as well as smaller organizations. We focus on providing communication services that center equity. Our work led to the recent induction of me and my wife into the Hall of Achievement for our alma mater, the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
Q: How did you first come to be part of the IPREX network and what made it feel like the right fit for you and your agency?
Carolyn Grisko, a longtime friend and ally, encouraged us to join IPREX because of the opportunity to benefit from a global network of successful, independent agencies. We had always respected her as a communications professional and businesswoman, so we got to know IPREX and came to understand Carolyn’s suggestion. As is the case with anything in life, you get out of IPREX what you put into it, and I’m glad that we’ve invested energy and resources into our IPREX membership. Kim and I believe in the power of public relations to change the trajectory of communities, so being in the company of agencies that share that belief on a global scale makes IPREX the right fit for us. By networking with our sister agencies, we stretch ourselves, we affirm our plans and we make deeper investments in our people. In summary, IPREX enables us to improve our stewardship of our agency.
On his time as the IPREX Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee Chair
Q: You've spent the last two years chairing the IPREX DEI Committee — what drew you to that role in the first place?
DEI is all about growth in my opinion. Populations, mindsets, and cultural norms are changing and becoming more diverse all over the world. Any organization that doesn’t embrace that will be left behind. That’s why I’m always drawn to DEI initiatives. I respect and value the IPREX network, so I think the DEI committee plays a vital role in the growth of our agencies. It doesn’t provide programming in a silo. I’m grateful to the agencies that are represented on the committee, and I’m tremendously thankful for the contributions that the committee members have made to ensure that IPREX agencies can take full advantage of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Q: What does DEI mean to you personally, and how has that shaped the way you've approached the committee's work?
In my opinion, DEI means diversity, equity and intention. It’s easy for each of us to be impacted by our own implicit biases, so you have to be intentional about growing through diversity and equity. As a DEI advocate, you have to be intentional about helping others break their normal ways of doing business and helping them alter their perceptions of the world. That’s why the committee provided recruitment and retention tool kits to help support more inclusive workforce practices. That’s why we’ve presented subject matter experts to emphasize the need to recognize hidden bias in AI models that we use more and more. The committee is an important resource for our agencies to use to become the best counselors we can be.
Q: Leading DEI efforts across a truly global network of agencies is no small task — how did you navigate the cultural complexity that comes with that?
That may always be a work in progress. I think it starts with recognizing that our sister agencies come to the DEI discussion from different places, both in terms of ideology and capacity. I believe every IPREX agency wants to grow, so the challenge of our committee is to reinforce DEI as a growth strategy and to be a force multiplier for those who understand the promise of DEI. We must also navigate the fact that diversity can mean different things in different regions of the world.
Q: What would you say to a partner agency that is still figuring out how to meaningfully embed DEI into their culture?
Don’t stop trying to embed it. Get started! Keep it up! Share your experience and POV! Every leader, every organization is impacted by hidden biases that impede your growth, Diversity, equity and inclusion/intention offer great practices and principles to help you break out of your normal mindset and disrupt yourself before competitors disrupt you. Don’t worry about saying the wrong thing. If you are guided by a genuine desire to improve yourself and the field of PR, others will see that and welcome you into the discussion regardless of your entry point.
On the transition to Americas Regional President
Q: What does the Americas region mean to you within the context of the broader IPREX network?
The Americas region is a large one, but it is not the only one. I want the agencies within our region to grow from each other, and the global network, in the same way agencies from EMEA or APAC learn from each other. Members of the Americas region should feel they have the opportunity to benefit from an exclusive network of agencies. I want our agencies to see ways they can also learn from their peers in other parts of the world.
How do you think your experience leading the DEI Committee will shape the way you approach regional leadership?
DEI means different things across regions, but it consistently means growth. Similarly, my approach to regional leadership will focus on agency growth regardless of the vertical, the location, the client mix or any other differentiator. Agency owners choose to invest in IPREX because they want to grow and get smarter as business people in some way. I’d like the respect for difference that we have in the DEI space to carry over into my influence on the region. We can grow through our differences and by challenging our existing mindsets.
On IPREX as a people network
Q: IPREX is fundamentally built on relationships — what does that mean to you and how has it shown up in your own experience of the network?
A relationship is more than an acquaintance if you have staked some of your future on that person or that entity. Membership in IPREX puts you in the company of agency owners who could actually impact your future. That has shown up for Rudd Resources in the form of lucrative business that came to us through sister agencies. It has also shown up as members of the network have been sounding boards, even mentors to colleagues at my agency. Our genuine interest in this network earned us the Grail Award this year, and we are very proud of that recognition by our sister agencies.
Q: What would you say to an independent agency leader in the Americas who is considering joining IPREX?
An independent agency owner can’t go it alone, and there are limits to their abilities and capacity. Use this network to push yourself and your agency, to gain support for your growth plans and help your agency be the best that it can be. Our agency owners represent different states, different verticals, different business models and more. But they all share a mission to be great communications consultants and counselors.
Looking ahead
Q: What do you hope people say about your contribution to IPREX five years from now?
I want to leave this role knowing that Americas region members had tools and exposure to resources that can help them be better stewards of their business, and better consultants to their clients. IPREX membership should remind them that it’s ok to shake things up, in a responsible way, for the sake of growth.
David Rudd's journey within IPREX is a testament to what this network is built on — people who lead with purpose, invest in others and grow through the relationships they build along the way. As he steps into the role of Americas Regional President, he carries with him two years of DEI leadership that has helped shape a more inclusive, more conscious network. We are proud to have David in our community and excited to see what this next chapter brings — for him, for the Americas region and for IPREX as a whole.
To find out more about IPREX and our global network of independent agencies, visit https://www.iprex.com/.