Weber Shandwick has appointed Hugh Taggart as the new CEO of its Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region. Taggart, a seasoned leader in the public relations industry, joins from FleishmanHillard where he served as CEO of their UK business since the beginning of 2024.Taggart takes the reins from Michael Frohlich, who departed Weber Shandwick last month. During his tenure at FleishmanHillard, Taggart oversaw a team of 200 practitioners. His successor in that role, Marshall Manson, was announced yesterday.A Career of Growth and TransformationPrior to his time at FleishmanHillard, Taggart was instrumental as co-CEO of Edelman UK, where he was credited with leading a period of significant growth and cultural transformation. He also held the position of global crisis chair at Edelman. Following his departure from Edelman, Ruth Warder stepped into the role of UK & Ireland CEO.This move comes amidst Omnicom's acquisition of IPG, the parent company of Weber Shandwick, which also owns FleishmanHillard.New Leadership and Strategic VisionIn his new capacity, Taggart will report directly to Weber Shandwick Global President Jim O'Leary. He will be responsible for overseeing more than 1,400 professionals across the firm's second-largest global region, which encompasses 22 offices including key operations in London, Berlin, Paris, Brussels, Dubai, and Johannesburg.Greg Prager, who served as interim EMEA CEO after Frohlich's exit, has been named President, Weber Advisory in EMEA. He will also supervise several of Weber Shandwick's European markets and report to Taggart.Leadership PerspectivesTaggart stated: "Every so often an opportunity is put in front of you that is impossible to say no to ?Çô this is one. From my conversations with the leaders at Weber Shandwick, it's clear that this is an agency not only with an exciting vision for the future but a firm that's already delivering on it." He added, "The next few years are not without their challenges; however, I've been energized by the ambition and action of the firm and I'm looking forward to joining the talented team and building on the many successes they have had."Jim O'Leary lauded Taggart's appointment, saying: "Hugh has been successfully advising CEOs and other C-suite executives for decades, consistently demonstrating smart counsel, strong leadership and a talent for inspiring high-performing teams. As the modern CEO agenda becomes increasingly complex across the region, I'm confident Hugh and Greg are the right leaders to help our clients meet this moment."Extensive Industry ExperienceTaggart's impressive career also includes serving as managing director of Bell Pottinger's Engage practice. Notably, he was part of the foundational team at Betfair, now a global gaming giant, where he held senior corporate affairs roles in both the UK and Australia.

Marshall Manson is set to join FleishmanHillard as the corporate affairs chair in the UK, marking his return to the industry 12 months after leaving Brunswick. This move is part of FleishmanHillard's strategic effort to modernize its public affairs and corporate communications services through enhanced digital capabilities.Manson, who previously served as the chief executive of Ogilvy PR UK, has also been influential in the digital sphere at Edelman and Brunswick, where he developed and led the firm's global corporate digital specialization during his five-year tenure. At FleishmanHillard, he will work alongside Hugh Taggart, his former Edelman colleague and the newly appointed UK CEO, to whom Manson will report."Marshall brings with him a unique blend of senior advisory capabilities and cutting-edge data and digital know-how that fits nicely with our modern approach to corporate affairs," said Taggart. "This expertise, built from years of experience holding senior positions across the industry, will be a big asset to our major clients and our newly appointed digital specialists."Manson's appointment follows FleishmanHillard?ÇÖs recent hiring of Joyce Higgins, a digital transformation specialist with experience in the pharmaceutical industry, and Nia Roberts, a healthcare social and digital expert, who will join later this month."The communications marketplace is ripe for disruption, but it will take an agency with the culture, bravery, and scale of this one to do it," said Manson. "We have a bold vision for an approach to corporate affairs that starts with a wide range of stakeholder audiences and focuses on delivering meaningful results. The digital capability at FleishmanHillard is first-rate. But rather than trying to be digital first, or media first, we are effectiveness first."