NEW YORK: Porter Novelli has appointed Gregory Waldron as its first global HR head.
Waldron will serve as senior partner and be responsible for Porter Novelli's global talent strategy and execution. He joins on January 1, and will be based in New York.
Waldron previously held senior HR positions for Burson-Marsteller, Young & Rubicam, Chase Manhattan, Salomon Brothers, and Starwood Hotels and Resort. He most recently headed his own leadership development and executive management consultancy.
Other agencies with a similar global recruiting position include Hill & Knowlton, which named Ellen Shedlarz chief talent officer nearly two years ago, and Burson, where Celia Berk is managing director of HR worldwide.
Gary Stockman, senior partner and CEO of the Americas, said the move was not a competitive gesture, but rather to enhance its role as a global organization.
"The impetus [for creating the position] was that it was clear to us that people are the key for Porter Novelli delivering on its global vision."
Stockman said that HR is a discipline that must be executed on both the local and global level, and that Waldron's has experience with both focuses in and outside of the agency environment. His strategic and execution strengths also impressed PN, Stockman added.
Porter Novelli is a wholly owned subsidiary of Omnicom Group.
