BOSTON: Weber Shandwick chief reputation officer Micho Spring is planning to step down at the end of the year.
Spring will continue in an of counsel role to the agency, and will “channel her energies” on more focused consulting, her service on boards and other civic pursuits, she said.
The Interpublic Group firm is not planning to replace Spring in the corporate reputation officer role, an agency spokesperson said.
“I am eternally grateful for the opportunities Weber Shandwick has given me to support clients on the front lines of so many consequential moments — American Airlines on 9/11, the Boston Athletic Association and MIT after the Boston Marathon bombings, the Yawkey Foundation during the long process that led to the sale of the Red Sox, and many others,” Spring said via email. “We branded and launched the Health Connector and edX, each revolutions in their own right, and helped clients navigate seismic societal changes ranging from the social media revolution to the global pandemic.”
She noted that she looks forward to watching Weber Shandwick’s continued success.
Spring joined Weber Shandwick in 1992, but stepped into her current role in March. During her three decades at the agency, she established and expanded the firm’s Boston office and built Weber Shandwick’s corporate practice into a global powerhouse, according to a statement.
In March, Weber Shandwick appointed Chris Deri as chief corporate affairs officer and president of its C-suite advisory service.
“There are leaders in our industry who have made incredible contributions to the profession, and then there is [Spring], who was a true pioneer in defining the value that strategic communications can deliver to organizations writ large,” said Gail Heimann, CEO of Weber Shandwick, in an emailed statement. “[Spring] is one of the foremost experts on corporate reputation and its direct link to business success, and we are so grateful to have had her as a guiding force. As a longtime colleague and friend, I wish [Spring] all the best as she shifts focus to her own consulting as well as civic and board pursuits.”
Previously, Spring led Boston Telecommunications Company for six years as its CEO. She also served for four years as deputy mayor of Boston under Mayor Kevin White after working for several years in New York City government. Spring has also managed political and advocacy campaigns, and in 2021 was appointed by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu to her transition committee.
In 2021, Weber Shandwick posted a revenue increase of 4.9% globally to $872 million and a revenue jump of 5% in the U.S. to $520 million, according to PRWeek’s Agency Business Report 2022.