Peter Finn Spins Off Finn Partners From Ruder Finn (2011)

This is EPR's founding-era profile of Finn Partners — the 2011 launch and the early build-out under Peter Finn. For the current state of the firm (2026), see Peter Finn Built a $199M PR Firm in 14 Years.

Related: Finn Partners — current profile · Ruder Finn · PR Firms Directory · Finn Partners archive

The 2011 Launch

Peter Finn launched Finn Partners in December 2011 as a standalone marketing and communications firm. The launch came after more than 30 years at family firm Ruder Finn, where Peter served 11 years as co-CEO before spinning Finn Partners off as a separate business.

The firm launched with approximately $24 million in fees and a founding team carved out of the Ruder Finn book. Within months of opening, Finn Partners was named "Best Agency to Work for in North America" — an early signal of the operating culture Peter built around senior-led service and partner-style ownership for managing-team leaders.

The Finn Family Lineage

Peter Finn is the son of Ruder Finn co-founder David Finn, who launched Ruder Finn in New York in 1948 with Bill Ruder. Peter's sister, Kathy Bloomgarden, became CEO of Ruder Finn in 2011 — the same year Peter launched Finn Partners as an independent business. The two firms operate separately in the market.

The Early Build-Out

Finn Partners' early years were defined by sector specialization rather than service-line organization. The firm built early practice depth in healthcare, technology, and consumer marketing, with founding managing partners Howard Solomon, Noah Finn, and other senior leaders carrying practice ownership.

September 2015 — Horn Group acquisition. Finn Partners acquired Horn Group, the San Francisco and New York technology PR firm founded by Sabrina Horn. The merger pushed the combined firm to roughly $70 million in annualized fees and approximately 500 global employees. Sabrina Horn joined as Managing Partner and U.S. Technology Practice Leader.

2017 — first Asia Pacific office. Finn Partners established its first APAC office, beginning the international expansion that defined the next decade.

What Came Next

The 2011–2017 founding era set the operating model — sector specialization, senior-led service, founder ownership, growth through acquisition — that Peter Finn carried forward. For the full record of Finn Partners' subsequent decade, the $24M-to-$199M growth, the 35-office international footprint, and the 27 acquisitions completed, see EPR's current profile: Peter Finn Built a $199M PR Firm in 14 Years.