Ishtar Schneider

Ishtar is the global external communications lead for Royal Canin - the biggest brand in Mars, Incorporated - helping protect and build the organisation's brand and reputation through strategic communications. Previously Ishtar held several global communications roles at Mars Petcare. Before joining Mars, she was a member of Edelman's London Health practice senior leadership team where she led the strategic direction for global clients across the human and pet health industries. She also drove the agency's UK gender equity and inclusion efforts and both built and ran the UK's Health marketing team. Ishtar has a deep understanding of building and executing integrated global and regional communications programmes the drive both brand and business results and positive societal impact. She is a proud global citizen and Taiwanese-American with experience working in the US, UK and Australia - where she spent years gaining deep health sector expertise and honing a keen news sense. She is currently a Women in PR Committee member and leads the organisation's flagship mentoring programme in partnership with PR Week. She is Chair for the PRCA Equity Inclusion Advisory Board and previously served as Co-Chair of the PRCA's Health group – a committee of the world's largest PR industry association helping drive professional development programs for communications practitioners and helping raise the bar for a more inclusive PR industry.