CEO insights from the Next Conference

We heard from two CEOs this morning at PRWeek's Next Conference: Chuck Connor, president and CEO of the American Lung Association, and Tom Kunz, president and CEO of Century 21 Real Estate. Both spoke about the relationship between PR professionals and the CEOs, as well as the rest of the C-Suite, at their companies and clients' companies.

"The secret of success is being close to the CEO and helping the CEO achieve the vision," Connor said, while talking about his experiences working in communications for the US Navy and the Red Cross. "Working in communications is fabulous preparation for working as CEO," he added.

"Don't be afraid – you just have to go talk to your CEO and let them know the value that you bring to the table," said Kunz of how PR can get a seat at the table. He suggested bringing your ideas to the CEO, but not just the idea. "You also need to say, 'because this is what it would mean to our business, this is what it would mean to our customer base, this is what it would mean to our employees.'"

I thought the CEOs offered really interesting insights as PR takes on a bigger role within organizations and how they can continue to have a seat with the C-Suite. If you were there, what did you think of the keynote address by Connor and the Q&A with Kunz? And follow the day's events on Twitter.