Weber PR Worldwide chairman Larry Weber is no longer the most
senior PR head within Interpublic, the group confirmed this week.
As part of the Interpublic Group of Companies’ pounds 180 million
acquisition deal with Shandwick parent International PR (IPR), IPR
chairman Lord Chadlington now heads Interpublic’s PR business. Weber,
who previously reported to John Dooner, chairman and chief executive of
advertising agency McCann-Erickson Worldwide, now reports to
Chadlington.
International PR is now the umbrella division within Interpublic for its
PR businesses. Within it, Weber PR Worldwide, Shandwick International
and its sister agency Golin/Harris International will be run
autonomously.
The three operating companies will not be made to share client
information.
’The holding function (IPR) will be responsible for broad policy and
acquisitions,’ said Chadlington, who also chairs the IPR board.
Its other members are Weber, Eugene Beard, vice president of Interpublic
and effectively the group’s number two, Shandwick’s European and US
chief executives Michael Murphy and Scott Meyer, Golin/Harris chief
executive Rich Jernstedt, and IPR financial director Roger Selman.
Beard dismissed rumours that the acquisition deal will result in IPR
merging Weber’s City agency, Ludgate, with Shandwick’s City operations.
