PRWEEK: Weber and G/H share resources in IPG trio

SINGAPORE: Under the recent IPG grouping of Weber Shandwick (WS), Golin/Harris (G/H) and FutureBrand, changes to the organisational structures of its two PR arms have been unveiled in Asia-Pacific. In a June 10 internal memo, WS CEO and head of the new IPG group, Harris Diamond, earmarked a back-end streamlining of IT, human resources and financial systems to pool resources. While he reinforced that the consultancies would remain "separate, fiercely independent and often competitive", the move highlights regional cost-cutting and a bid to shave excess costs in a volatile market.