FOR a never-say-die attitude, always say Di.

For Di Burton is one of only two Yorkshire people listed in PR Week’s Power List of the most influential people in public relations.

Strictly speaking she is South African, but has earned the Yorkshirewoman tag because of Cicada, the PR company she started in Harrogate in 1987.

And as a patron for Welcome To Yorkshire, a trustee of Harrogate Theatre, a member of London’s Reform Club and as someone listed in Debrett’s People of Today, she deserves her nomination for the title of Business Personality Of The Year and her entry in the Women In Enterprise category in The Press Business Awards 2011.

Under Di’s leadership as managing director, Cicada has received numerous honours, including Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy at the CIPR Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Pride Awards two years ago plus Gold for Campaign Of The Year.

As well as running her agency, Di advises at board level on leadership issues and stakeholder management for a range of blue-chip organisations and undertakes public affairs work.

As an industry expert, she has worked at 10 Downing Street and the Cabinet Office and is a regular speaker at national and international conferences.

She and her team of seven women have more than coped with the economic downturn, With total belief in staff development she spends more than £1,000 per head annually on training, as well as delivering in-house training of her own.