Tony Harrison is a communications consultant from Tasmania who has worked in journalism and public relations, marketing and government relations. He is a former political journalist and former press secretary to two Tasmanian Premiers. Tony Harrison was a former corporate affairs manager with the Australian Tourist Commission. He is Executive Chairman[1] of Tasmanian public relations, marketing and government relations consultancy, Corporate Communications (Tas) Pty Ltd[2] and a majority shareholder of the business. Tony Harrison has been involved in providing high-level corporate advice and political lobbying services[3] to clients in Tasmania and Australia, as well as overseeing community consultation programs for the corporate sector and for government. He is the former National President of the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) and past President of the PRIA in Tasmania. He has won awards for public relations and marketing including a PRIA National Golden Target Gold Award in 2000 and 2003 for government communication. The consultancy has won a National Golden Target Gold award. Tony Harrison was also awarded a special Tasmania Day Award for his service to the public relations profession. Outside the business, Tony Harrison is a Director of Cricket Australia (the former ACB) and Chairman of Cricket Tasmania, and a member of the Council of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).[4] Tony is a Fellow of the AICD and a Fellow of the PRIA. In 2003 he was awarded the President’s award by the Public Relations Institute of Australia for his contribution to the profession at a national level.
Boards and management Tony Harrison is well respected in the Tasmanian political and business community as an expert in the communications field. Tony Harrison has been an advisor/board member to a variety of bodies and individuals including: • Member of the Consumer Affairs Council of Tasmania • Member of the Small Business Group of the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which is the peak employer group in Tasmania • Chairman and Director of the Cricket Tasmania[5] • Director of Cricket Australia[6] • Member of the Board of the Menzies Centre for Population Health Research • Member of the Heart Foundation committee, which is a business fund-raising committee of the National Heart Foundation • Advisor to the inaugural Trust Bank Foundation, a body established to provide funds for charitable and community causes • Member of the State Taxation Consultative Forum advising the Tasmanian Government on likely industry and public reactions to taxation reform • Advisor to Glenview Home for the Aged • Council member and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors in Tasmania.
Positions held within the public relations profession in Australia Tony Harrison was made a Member of the Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) in Tasmania in June 1985 and was immediately elected to the Tasmanian Council of the PRIA. In 1987 he was elected Tasmanian Vice President and retained the position for two years before his election as Tasmanian President, a position he held from 1989 until 1993. Tony Harrison was elected as Tasmania’s representative on the national Council of the PRIA in 1989. He was elected national Vice President in 1991 until 1995 and in 1995 was elected national President retaining the position for two years.
Tasmanian contribution: Tony Harrison was on the PRIA Tasmanian Council for approximately 12 years and served as Vice President for two years followed by four years as Tasmanian President. He was involved in the organisation of two national conferences held in Tasmania and was chairman of a highly successful 1992 Hobart event. Tony Harrison was instrumental in establishing the Tasmanian Awards for Excellence in conjunction with two sister organisations, the Australian Marketing Institute and the Advertising Club of Tasmania and chaired the Awards committee for three terms. The Tasmanian awards became the benchmark for the establishment of similar State-based awards programs throughout Australia.
National contribution: At a national level, Tony Harrison was an inaugural member of the National Board of the PRIA following the restructuring of the Public Relations Institute of Australia. As a Board member, he headed the national Continuing Professional Education Committee which oversaw the introduction of a national program of compulsory continuing professional education for all PRIA members.
Other contributions to the public relations profession:
Tony Harrison has contributed to the advancement of the public relations profession in Australia at an international level. In 1996, he travelled to the United Kingdom to initiate talks with the Institute of Public Relations in London about reciprocal industry activities. In 1997 he visited Singapore and Malaysia as a representative of the PRIA to be a keynote speaker in consecutive industry professional development seminars. He was a keynote speaker at the 1993 PRIA national convention in Sydney, the 1996 Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) Convention in Rotorua, New Zealand and the 1997 joint PRIA/PRINZ convention in Auckland. He also chaired the 1997 Public Relations Industry Summit in Sydney.
Special recognition for PRIA contribution: In 1995, Tony Harrison received the Tasmanian President's Award for his contribution to the Tasmanian public relations profession. In March 1998, Tony Harrison was presented with a special commendation from the National Board of the PRIA in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the Public Relations Institute of Australia.