Omnicom has announced a major restructuring within Omnicom Public Relations Group (OPRG), marking the first significant internal consolidation following the holding company’s acquisition of Interpublic in November.
According to an internal memo cited by media sources, Omnicom is merging Golin and Ketchum to create a single brand agency. The combined agency will be led by Golin CEO Matt Neale as chief executive officer, with Ketchum’s Tamara Norman appointed global president. Norman, who became Ketchum’s US CEO in 2024, has been overseeing the region since the departure of former CEO Mike Doyle in July. While integration will take place, reports indicate that Golin and Ketchum will continue to retain their individual brand identities during the transition.
In a separate development, Omnicom is folding Porter Novelli into FleishmanHillard. As per reports, Porter Novelli will operate as a dedicated brand within FleishmanHillard rather than as an independent agency. In the memo referenced by media outlets, OPRG CEO Chris Foster stated that the two agencies are closely aligned across corporate affairs, reputation management, and purpose and social impact work, and that the move is aimed at improving consistency of delivery across markets.
J.J. Carter will continue to serve as CEO of FleishmanHillard, while Porter Novelli CEO Jillian Janaczek will take on the role of Americas CEO, according to reports.
The restructuring is expected to be implemented in phases through 2026. Reports state that Omnicom has emphasised continuity for clients and teams, noting that client work will continue without interruption and that existing agency brands, teams, and day-to-day relationships will remain in place.
Several agencies within Omnicom’s PR portfolio are not impacted by the changes. According to reports, Weber Shandwick, MMC, and Omnicom’s public affairs firms including DDC Public Affairs, GMMB, FP1 Strategies, Mercury Public Affairs, PLUS Communications, Portland Communications, and VOX Global will continue to operate as they do currently under the same leadership.
