Omnicom PR announces new leadership structure with Joanne Wong as APAC CEO

Omnicom PR has unveiled a new regional leadership structure across Asia-Pacific, EMEA and Canada as part of a broader effort to streamline operations across its agency portfolio outside the US and UK, according to a report by Earned First.

Under the new structure, FleishmanHillard’s Joanne Wong has been elevated to the role of APAC CEO at Omnicom PR, effective 1 July. Weber Shandwick EMEA CEO Hugh Taggart and Weber Shandwick Canada CEO Greg Power have also been appointed to corresponding regional leadership positions.

The three executives will report directly to Omnicom PR global CEO Chris Foster and oversee all Omnicom PR agency brands within their respective regions.

Don't miss: Omnicom PR reportedly restructures agency portfolio 

In Asia-Pacific, Wong will oversee Weber Shandwick, FleishmanHillard and Golin. She had rejoined FleishmanHillard as Asia-Pacific president in late 2023, marking a return after serving as a senior managing director at FTI Consulting. 

According to Earned First, the combined fee income of the agencies in the region is estimated at approximately US$150 million, accounting for roughly 5% of Omnicom PR’s global revenue.

The restructuring will also see several senior regional roles eliminated. Earned First reported that the Weber Shandwick Asia-Pacific CEO role, previously held by Tyler Kim based in South Korea, and the Golin regional president role held by Darren Burns will no longer exist under the new structure.

At the market level, Omnicom PR is also consolidating leadership across several countries. Weber Shandwick Singapore leader Carolyn Devanayagam and Weber Shandwick Korea leader Elizabeth Bae are among those taking on expanded Omnicom PR leadership responsibilities.

The restructuring follow a series of consolidation moves within Omnicom PR earlier this year, including the merger of Ketchum with Golin and the integration of Porter Novelli into FleishmanHillard. At that point in time, reports stated that there will be no changes to Weber Shandwick or MMC. OPR's public affairs agencies, including Mercury, GMMB and Vox Global had also remained unchanged.

The moves are part of Omnicom PR’s wider strategy to simplify its global PR network operations, as Omnicom Group continues efforts to streamline operations following its acquisition of IPG. 

The changes also follow recent leadership shifts within Omnicom’s APAC operations. In February, Mei Lee stepped down as managing director of FleishmanHillard Singapore after a year in the role.

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