Under the new structure, which was announced today, the group has decided to bring its agencies closer together by having two operating divisions: one for ‘integrated agencies’ and one for ‘sector specialist agencies’.
The group’s brand has also been revised - with the logo being refined, and a new website launched.
The moves have been made as the group "continues to push boundaries to sustain growth for itself and its clients," according to a statement. This means, among other things, it is seeking to cut costs and become more efficient by having its agencies working more closely together.
The integrated agencies division will be headed up by executive director James Clifton, who said: "By sharing excellence, best practice, and resources we can avoid duplication of efforts and maximise our expertise to ensure we adapt in line with market changes."
Fiona Shepherd, chief executive of April Six and AprilSix Proof, will chair the other division. She commented: "We can now take advantage of the depth of skills that sit across the group whilst ensuring that a flexible, client-centric approach remains at the heart of the business."
The new ‘shared services’ model being used by the group, which employs around 1,100 people worldwide, will be led by Bray Leino chairman Giles Lee, who has been appointed the group’s commercial director.
He said: "Mutualising our back-office services is key to driving value and efficiency as it creates a centralised pool of resources from which all our agencies can profit."
The news comes just weeks after the group reported increased profitability from its PR operations - with operating profit of almost £1m last year, double that of the previous year. However, turnover and operating income were both down on the figures recorded in 2016.
The group confirmed to PRWeek that there have been no redundancies following the reorganisation.
