Students and young PR pros aspiring for successful careers will gain important insights and “North Star” guidance from this year’s recipients of the two top Page Society awards – Andy Polansky and Ken Makovsky.
Susan Howe, CEO at The Weber Shandwick Collective, introduced the 2025 Page Hall of Fame Award, Andy Polansky.
“As CEO of Weber Shandwick and later as chairman of IPG DXTRA, Andy guided global brands through moments of complexity and change while shaping Weber Shandwick into one of the most respected agencies in the world,” Susan explained.
In his acceptance remarks, Andy urged organizations to “stay true to their values and continue to focus on DEI and take meaningful steps to create more diverse and inclusive environments for all.”
“Embracing different points of view not only gets us toward establishing more trust and common ground, it also leads to business success,” he explained.
Andy also mentioned the importance for PR pros to follow the Page Principles, noting the growing importance of the third principle – Manage for Tomorrow.
Polansky told the 250 senior PR pros at their annual conference in Dallas that during these polarized times, their voices are more important than ever in providing leadership and advising leaders on how to navigate risk and how to engage stakeholders with strikingly different views.
Noting the need for senior pros to develop future leaders, Andy said he spends much of his time now with young people, offering advice about their careers.
“I would encourage all of you to spend a good chunk of time engaging with young professionals; they can bring fresh thinking and a healthy perspective,” Andy said. “Many of them have not had the experience of working in offices, so they don’t always have face-to-face access to potential mentors. They worry about missing opportunities to gain experience, to learn, and to lead. They worry that AI adoption will result in fewer positions for professionals early in their career journeys.”
Video link to Andy’s remarks here.
Maril MacDonald, founder and CEO of Gagen MacDonald, introduced fellow agency entrepreneur Ken Makovsky, noting Ken founded his firm – Makovsky + Company — in 1979 with a simple philosophy: “There is no task so difficult that it can’t be accomplished by a team of smart people working in harmony.” That mantra holds true more than 46 years later.”
Maril cited Ken’s many contributions to the advancement of the PR profession over the years, including being a former co-chairman of the board and trustee of the Institute for Public Relations. He also donates time to a variety of human rights, higher education and economic development causes.
“You’ve created mentorship and scholarship programs that have opened doors for the next generation of communicators,” Maril added. “And you’ve modeled what it means to listen deeply, manage for tomorrow, and ensure that research, education and ethics remain at the heart of our work.”
In his remarks, Ken noted the significant growth of the PR industry since he began consulting in the 1960s – approximately 25,000 PR pros then versus more than 300,000 today.
Ken attributes the dramatic growth to significant changes in traditional media channels such as radio, television, and the shift to a 24/7 news cycle, followed by the arrival of the internet, social media, and now artificial intelligence. With each breakthrough, communications has become faster, more complex, and more visible.
While Ken is a strong advocate of all seven Page Principles, most of his friends and colleagues say he can always be counted on to be calm. He agrees.
He also feels Page might add another Principle to the list – Be Resourceful.
“The value and utility of resourcefulness are constants, regardless of tools or technology,” Ken explained. “Resourcefulness is not abstract. It is based on mindset, skills and action. It’s learning how to adapt, how to leverage the tools of the time, and how to keep going no matter the circumstances.”
Very much an optimist, Ken credits that attribute, along with being a realist and problem solver, for making him resourceful.
“Resourcefulness is not innate, as some might think; it is a learned skill,” he said.
Video link to Ken’s remarks here.