Weber Shandwick has named as its next chief executive officer, succeeding , who will retire in September after nearly three decades with the agency.Pugliese, currently global president, will officially take over as CEO on September 1, marking a significant leadership transition at one of the world’s largest public relations firms. Howe, who became CEO in 2024, previously succeeded longtime agency leader .The announcement came just hours after reports emerged that , Weber Shandwick’s North America CEO and global president, is leaving the company to become CEO of Penta.The changes arrive amid wider restructuring across Omnicom Public Relations Group following parent company Omnicom Group’s acquisition of Interpublic Group last year. Earlier this year, OPRG announced plans to merge Golin and Ketchum, while integrating Porter Novelli into FleishmanHillard.OPRG CEO praised Howe’s leadership, saying she leaves the agency “exceptionally well positioned for the future”, while describing Pugliese as a respected executive with deep understanding of the business, clients and culture.During Howe’s tenure, Weber Shandwick expanded its capabilities through initiatives including Weber Advisory, Weber I/O and Weber Create, while strengthening its reputation for creative and strategic communications work.Pugliese has spent more than 15 years at Weber Shandwick, holding senior roles across consumer marketing, growth strategy and executive leadership. Before becoming global president, she served as executive vice-president of the consumer practice, chief of staff to the CEO and global chief growth officer.Speaking about the transition, Pugliese said the agency’s collaborative culture has been central to its long-term leadership stability and growth.She added that Weber Shandwick would continue focusing on innovation and creative excellence despite ongoing consolidation across the communications industry.