Omnicom Public Relations (OPR) has named new leaders in APAC, EMEA and Canada, as part of its new regional leadership structure, effective July 1.
Joanne Wong will become CEO of OPR APAC; Hugh Taggart will become CEO of OPR EMEA; and Greg Power will become CEO of OPR Canada, according to an agency statement.
They will all report to Omnicom Public Relations CEO Chris Foster and oversee all OPR agency brands within their respective regions, working closely with local leadership and drawing support from global agency leaders.
The new model aims to create “a clearer governance structure and enable more coordinated, client-centric delivery across [OPR’s] agency portfolio, including Golin, Ketchum, Weber Shandwick and FleishmanHillard,” the OPR statement explained.
The new regional structure will be implemented in phases, with additional country appointments to be announced in the coming months.
The U.S. and U.K. will continue to operate under their current agency models.
The move follows the close of Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG in November. The $9 billion deal created the world’s largest marketing services holding company, bringing together IPG’s Specialised Communications & Experiential Solutions firms (SC&E) and Omnicom’s PR agencies under a unified Omnicom PR, led by Foster.
In Q1, Omnicom Public Relations registered “mid-single-digit” growth, Omnicom CFO Phil Angelastro said on the company’s earnings call.
In the quarter, OPR posted revenue of $659.8 million, an 81.9% increase from the same period a year prior, driven by a result of the acquisition of Interpublic Group’s PR firms.
OPR’s portfolio of agencies includes FleishmanHillard, Ketchum, MMC and Porter Novelli as well as former IPG agency brands The Weber Shandwick Collective, Golin, Current Group and DeVries Global.
The PR firms, in addition to the group’s public affairs firms — Mercury, Portland, GMMB, Plus, FP1, Vox Global and Maslansky+Partners — are included in Omnicom’s PR discipline revenue breakdown.
In February, Omnicom revealed its PR agency reorganisation following the close of the deal, which moved Porter Novelli to become a dedicated brand under FleishmanHillard and will combine Golin and Ketchum. MMC and Weber Shandwick were not impacted by the integration, Foster said at the time.
As a result of the restructuring, Porter CEO Jillian Janaczek transitioned into the role of Americas CEO of Fleishman, reporting to FleishmanHillard CEO J.J. Carter.
Meanwhile, Golin CEO Matt Neale is CEO of the combined Golin Ketchum agency, while Ketchum U.S. CEO Tamara Norman moved into the global president title.
The Weber Shandwick Collective, which comprises Weber Shandwick, as well as United Minds, Powell Tate, Resolute Digital, Flipside, ThatLot, KRC Research and Cappuccino, remains under the leadership of CEO Susan Howe, who succeeded Gail Heimann in 2024. Olga Fleming serves as CEO of MMC.
In September, Howe will retire from the Omnicom PR agency, handing the helm to global president Karen Pugliese.
Additionally, Weber Shandwick Collective CEO of North America and global president Jim O'Leary is leaving the company to join Penta Group as CEO.
When asked if Weber will be replacing Pugliese and O’Leary in their global president roles or O’Leary’s role as CEO of North America, Pugliese said, “more to come soon.”
Staffers were laid off at OPR agencies earlier this year following cuts announced by Omnicom CEO John Wren in December. The layoffs continued into the first quarter, impacting OPR along with other capabilities within the holding company, Foster confirmed.
