The Weber Shandwick Collective CEO Gail Heimann is retiring from the Interpublic Group PR community in November; she might be changed by company president Susan Howe.
Heimann was named CEO of Weber Shandwick in July 2019, when incumbent Andy Polansky moved upstairs to turn into chairman and CEO of IPG’s Constituency Administration Group, which housed many of the holding firm’s PR companies, together with Weber. Previous to that, she was president of Weber from 2013. Polansky retired from Interpublic Group in June 2022.
Polansky, Harris Diamond, Jack Leslie and Heimann had been a part of a bunch of senior executives who grew the Weber Shandwick model following the merger within the early 2000s of The Weber Group, Shandwick Worldwide and BSMG (previously Bozell Sawyer Miller Group). With Heimann’s announcement, from November all of them can have retired from the PR business.
Howe has been president of Weber since June 2021; she beforehand served as chief progress officer and chief collaboration officer in her 28-year-plus profession on the agency. She’s going to nonetheless be primarily based in Chicago, however will proceed to spend time in New York Metropolis and different areas all over the world, which she has performed in her function overseeing international operations.
“I’ve been with the corporate for near 30 years; Susan has a number of many years as properly. And we now have been working collectively as companions for the previous few years. I really feel extremely good about the place The Weber Shandwick Collective is in the present day,” stated Heimann when requested why she was selecting to retire.
“It’s a rare group and we’ve had great success up to now few years,” she added. “We’ve had year-on-year progress and we’ve innovated forward of the business.”
Heimann will proceed sitting on the boards she participates in and pursue her passions to advocate for girls in enterprise, marginalized populations and the humanities. She additionally intends to jot down a e book.
Jim O’Leary is North America CEO of Weber Shandwick; Michael Frohlich is international chief shopper and transformation officer and EMEA CEO. Howe stated each will proceed of their roles and there aren’t any additional senior administration modifications deliberate on the company on account of Heimann leaving.
“Gail is a once-in-a-lifetime chief and CEO,” stated Howe. “One of many issues I take away from working along with her is her toughness and keenness for creativity, it doesn’t matter what the project is. Now we have transcended PR to be a broader resolution for our purchasers.”
The duo will spend the following 4 months with Weber’s purchasers and groups to make sure a clean handover of company management transition.
Heimann stated the spotlight of her Weber profession was “being a part of a tradition that’s distinctive” and quoted one among her purchasers who stated one of many challenges was “how do you develop huge and keep small?”
Howe stated Heimann “taught her to passionately pursue concepts with a way of human kindness.”
Weber Shandwick was named International Company of the Yr in London in Could on the PRWeek International Awards 2024. On the latest Cannes Lions Worldwide Pageant of Creativity, Weber Shandwick Chicago gained a Grand Prix within the Model Expertise & Activation class for The First Edible Mascot for Kellanova model Pop-Tarts. The agency additionally teamed up with McCann Detroit to win Gold and Silver for its U.S. Financial institution Translators activation.
The Weber Shandwick Collective contains businesses Cappuccino, KRC Analysis, Flipside, Powell Tate, Prime, Resolute, That Lot, United Minds, Weber Shandwick and Present Group.
The collective reported a income improve of 6% to $970 million globally and $580 million within the U.S. in 2023, in response to PRWeek’s Company Enterprise Report 2024.