NEW YORK: Porter Novelli CEO David Bentley is leaving the Omnicom Group firm at the end of June.
A search for a successor is underway, led by Omnicom PR Group CEO Chris Foster. The holding company has not named an interim chief executive for the firm.
In an internal memo seen by PRWeek, Foster said: “David has been a true catalyst for change. He has made meaningful contributions to the agency’s growth and success, and we wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”
Bentley joined Porter in March 2020 from McKinsey & Company, where he was VP of digital. He previously held leadership roles at AKQA in North America and Europe and ran his own consultancy.
In PRWeek’s recently published Agency Business Report, Bentley described Porter’s performance in 2022 as the “best year in living memory” for the agency, after having “struggled a little” in the past three years.
“It’s been an honor and a pleasure to work with Chris, Omnicom and the entire team at Porter Novelli to redefine the business strategy and structure of such a fantastic pioneering agency brand,” Bentley said in an emailed statement. “Porter Novelli has remarkable DNA with an impressive bench of communications leaders who have been a privilege to work with as we reshaped the company. After three years, I am proud of the results we have achieved and wish the team and my successor all the best as they continue to do business better.”
Foster said he’s “been working closely with David and Porter Novelli’s executive leadership team to ensure a smooth transition for the agency’s people, clients, and business.”
“We are also working to name a successor who has the right experience, expertise and vision to build on Porter Novelli’s current momentum,” added Foster.
In 2022, Porter reduced its footprint to four regional groups from its previous 16 locations. It established a U.S. leadership group under Conroy Boxhill, who was promoted to the newly created position of U.S. president at Porter in November 2022, from his previous role as MD and corporate counsel lead.
The agency adopted a global borderless structure called connected core to allow every office to tap into Porter’s network. It developed a playbook to provide support for clients and their C-suite leadership when communicating with audiences.
Foster concluded the memo to Porter’s staff by saying: “I appreciate all that each of you has done over the past few years and I am optimistic about the future of Porter Novelli.”