Food Standards Scotland Senior Communications Manager becomes 9th Chartered Practitioner in Scotland

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) Senior Communications Manager, Maria Tocher has become the 9th person in Scotland to achieve Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) Chartered Public Relations Practitioner Status.

Maria passed the industry body’s day-long assessment at its centre in London earlier this week becoming one of less than 80 current Chartered Practitioners in the UK. Prior to the milestone achievement Maria gained a Diploma with Merit in Public Relations – a syllabus taught and assessed at Masters level.

Practitioner certification is considered the benchmark of professional excellence and integrity in the communications sphere and represents the highest standard of knowledge, expertise and ethical practice. Candidates are put through their paces for the chartership assessment day which focuses on three main areas: Ethics, Strategy and Leadership.

Maria said: “I’m honoured to be awarded Chartered Practitioner status and it reaffirms the skills and experience I’m bringing to FSS and it’s growing workforce. 

“I’ve worked in the profession for over 10 years now and as well as demonstrating knowledge and academic achievements this accolade proves commitment to learning should be life-long.” 

FSS Chief Executive, Geoff Ogle said: “It is an absolute privilege to have someone of Maria’s calibre supporting our communication and marketing strategy and recognition at this level is testament to her standards, dedication and hard work. 

“Our Communications and Marketing division has developed significantly in recent months and with Maria’s leadership within the communications team we look forward to further success. 

“As Scotland’s public sector food body, putting consumers first is of paramount importance and this validates the strategy behind how we communicate and engage across our broad stakeholder community.”