According to a statement by Omnicom, the combined business will continue serving clients under both Ketchum and Porter Novelli brands. Ketchum Brussels managing director Peter Otten will lead the combined business as managing director, with integration beginning immediately.
"Ketchum and Porter Novelli have true complementary capabilities, and this integration will significantly increase the breadth and scale of service offerings for our local Belgian and multinational clients," said Mark Hume, Ketchum's president of Europe. "Combining the local talent, experience and creativity of the two firms will bring digitally-driven solutions to our clients and enrich the development opportunities for our market-leading talent in Brussels."
David Bentley, CEO of Porter Novelli, added, "Our focus as part of Omnicom Public Relations Group is on the success and development of our people, and of course, our clients. We believe the seamless integration of our Brussels office with our sister agency, Ketchum, will provide greater opportunity for both in the marketplace – including additional opportunities for our talent while also allowing our clients to thrive with the support of a more robust team."
The integration creates an extended portfolio of expertise that includes influencer marketing, digital and social media, analytics, issues and crisis management, corporate communications, internal communications and change management, and policy and advocacy on EU legislation and regulatory frameworks.
"Brussels has always been a strategically important market for Ketchum. Bringing these two teams together will result in opportunities to leverage the policy and advocacy expertise at Porter Novelli with the integrated communication expertise of Ketchum," said Peter Otten. "What makes us confident in the success of this integration is the strength of our combined team and their experience, including 15 native languages, together with creative, digital and crisis capabilities."
Luc Michiels, currently acting managing director of Porter Novelli Brussels, will serve as the financial director of the new joint operation. Ketchum and Porter Novelli currently are co-located at Scheldestraat 122 in Brussels, and the combined entity will remain at this address.
Omnicom Public Relations Group is a global collective of three of the top global public relations agencies worldwide and specialist agencies in areas including public affairs, marketing to women, global health strategy and corporate social responsibility. It encompasses more than 6,300 public relations professionals in more than 370 offices worldwide who provide their expertise to companies, government agencies, NGOs and nonprofits across a wide range of industries. Omnicom Public Relations Group delivers for clients through a relentless focus on talent, continuous pursuit of innovation and a culture steeped in collaboration. Omnicom Public Relations Group is part of the DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) that includes more than 200 companies in a wide range of marketing disciplines including advertising, public relations, healthcare, customer relationship management, events, promotional marketing, branding and research.
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