African Projection of Paul the Lily in Public Relations

Mozambican professional Açucena Paul was distinguished as Best Public Relations Professional at the COMARP Awards 2026, recognition that comes at a time of growing projection of her career in African and international spaces of representation, reflection and development of the profession.

The distinction was announced during the COMARP Forum, held on September 17th in Maputo, and once again places Açucena Paul among the professionals highlighted for her contribution to reputation management and the strategic affirmation of Public Relations.

More than just an isolated recognition, the award accompanies a trajectory that, in recent years, has been gaining a dimension beyond the Mozambican market.

Açucena Paul is currently a member of the Board of the African Public Relations Association – APRA, a continental organization that brings together professionals and representative structures of Public Relations in Africa.

In 2026, she was also appointed to the Continental Advisory Committee of the World Public Relations Forum 2026, assuming, among other responsibilities, the role of ambassador for the Forum in Mozambique, contributing to the coordination of the event with institutions, organizations and professionals on the continent.

The World Public Relations Forum will take place in Abuja, Nigeria, in November, bringing together communication professionals and leaders from different geographical areas to discuss the future of the profession, at a time when issues such as trust, reputation, responsible leadership, artificial intelligence, sustainability and organizational transformation are gaining increasing prominence.

For Açucena Paul, professional recognition is an opportunity to broaden Mozambique's participation in the discussions shaping communication and public relations in Africa and the world.

“We are the professionals who transform complex relationship, trust, and reputation challenges into practical strategies that help organizations operate with greater credibility, alignment, and influence. The recognition we have achieved within the country gains even greater significance when we are able to take the Mozambican experience to other spaces, learn from different markets, and contribute to Mozambique having an increasingly present voice in the major conversations in Africa.”, said the award winner.

The regional dimension of her career has been gaining greater prominence. In addition to participating in the APRA Council and the continental committee of the World Public Relations Forum, Açucena Paul was recently highlighted by the African association in the Voices of African PR series, a space that brings together perspectives from professionals from different countries on the challenges and evolution of the profession on the continent.

The professional has also advocated for greater participation of Mozambican professionals and those from other Portuguese-speaking markets in the main international industry circuits, where the Anglophone and Francophone communities continue to have a particularly significant presence.

This new distinction from the COMARP Awards comes two years after Açucena Paul was recognized, also in 2024, as the Best Public Relations Professional in Mozambique, and a few months after she was once again included in the list of the 30 Most Influential Women in Communication, Marketing and Public Relations, published by COMARP in 2026.

This series of recognitions reinforces a professional trajectory built on strategic communication, reputation, sustainability, stakeholder relations, and leadership, and adds an increasingly regional dimension to the presence of Mozambican professionals in the sector.

Açucena Paul is the founder and CEO of Feedback, a Mozambican agency and consultancy specializing in improving the culture and reputation of companies and institutions through strategic communication, which she founded after a background of more than twenty years in the Oil and Gas, Mining, Telecommunications and Media industries.