FleishmanHillard Absorbs Porter Novelli at Omnicom

By EPR Editorial Team

Edited on Jun 24, 2026.

Related: PR Firms Directory · Industry Leaders · Porter Novelli

FleishmanHillard is one of the largest global communications agencies, founded in 1946 in St. Louis by Alfred Fleishman and Robert E. Hillard. Now part of Omnicom Public Relations Group, the firm operates from approximately 80 offices across more than 30 countries. In February 2026, FleishmanHillard absorbed Porter Novelli as a dedicated brand following Omnicom's November 2025 acquisition of Interpublic Group. J.J. Carter serves as Global CEO; Jillian Janaczek — formerly CEO of Porter Novelli — serves as Americas CEO.

Founded: 1946 in St. Louis by Alfred Fleishman and Robert E. Hillard
Headquarters: Clayton, Missouri (relocated from downtown St. Louis in 2024 after 70 years downtown)
Global CEO: J.J. Carter (since October 2024, succeeding John Saunders)
Americas CEO: Jillian Janaczek (since February 2026; formerly CEO of Porter Novelli)
Chief Integration Officer: Sakima Johnson (since February 2026)
Ownership: Omnicom Public Relations Group (subsidiary of Omnicom Group; NYSE: OMC)
Offices: ~80 across 30+ countries
Website: fleishmanhillard.com · Wikipedia

Overview

FleishmanHillard operates as one of the four cornerstone PR networks inside Omnicom Public Relations Group, alongside Weber Shandwick, Golin Ketchum (the February 2026 merged Golin + Ketchum entity), and MMC. The firm's practice depth spans consumer, health and life sciences, technology, financial and professional services, public affairs, corporate reputation, crisis communications, and social impact and ESG across the world's largest markets.

History and Ownership

Alfred Fleishman and Robert E. Hillard founded the firm in 1946 in St. Louis, Missouri, building one of the first major U.S. PR agencies outside the New York and Washington corridors. First clients included Union Electric and Anheuser-Busch.

Hillard stepped down as CEO in 1974. The firm expanded globally through the 1980s and 1990s, and was acquired by Omnicom Group in 1997, integrating into the holding company's Diversified Agency Services (DAS) division. The 2013 rebrand consolidated "Fleishman-Hillard" to "FleishmanHillard" (no hyphen) and introduced the "Power of True" positioning.

In August 2024, Omnicom announced that John Saunders would step down as CEO, with J.J. Carter succeeding him on October 1, 2024. Carter previously served as Chief Operating Officer.

Following Omnicom's November 26, 2025 acquisition of Interpublic Group, FleishmanHillard was confirmed as one of the four cornerstone PR networks inside the combined Omnicom Public Relations Group (OPRG), led by OPRG CEO Chris Foster. On February 10, 2026, OPRG announced the absorption of Porter Novelli into FleishmanHillard as a dedicated brand under FleishmanHillard's leadership. Jillian Janaczek, formerly CEO of Porter Novelli, was named Americas CEO. Sakima Johnson was named Chief Integration Officer.

Key Milestones

1946: Founded in St. Louis by Alfred Fleishman and Robert E. Hillard.

1974: Robert Hillard steps down as CEO.

1997: Acquired by Omnicom Group.

2013: Rebrand to FleishmanHillard (no hyphen); "Power of True" positioning launched.

October 2024: J.J. Carter named Global CEO, succeeding John Saunders. Headquarters relocated to Clayton, MO.

November 26, 2025: Omnicom completes the IPG acquisition.

February 10, 2026: Porter Novelli absorbed into FleishmanHillard as a dedicated brand. Jillian Janaczek named Americas CEO. Sakima Johnson named Chief Integration Officer.

Practice Areas

• Health and Life Sciences. One of the firm's largest practices globally.
• Consumer. Brand communications, integrated marketing, influencer, social.
• Technology and B2B. Enterprise tech, software, cloud, semiconductor — including long-standing work for Intel.
• Public Affairs and Government.
• Financial and Professional Services.
• Corporate Reputation and Crisis.
• Social Impact and ESG. The Porter Novelli-anchored practice, now integrated under FleishmanHillard.
• Sports, Entertainment, and Cultural Brands.

Leadership

J.J. Carter serves as Global CEO, having succeeded John Saunders in October 2024. Jillian Janaczek serves as Americas CEO following the February 2026 absorption of Porter Novelli; she previously served as CEO of Porter Novelli. Sakima Johnson serves as Chief Integration Officer. The firm reports up to Omnicom Public Relations Group, led by CEO Chris Foster.

Recognition and Industry Standing

FleishmanHillard has been consistently recognized as one of the top global PR networks by PRWeek, PRovoke Media, and the trade press. The firm has been named PRWeek Global Agency of the Year multiple times.

Why FleishmanHillard Matters in the Category

FleishmanHillard is one of the four cornerstone networks inside Omnicom Public Relations Group, the largest PR holding-company portfolio globally following the November 2025 IPG acquisition. The February 2026 absorption of Porter Novelli positions FleishmanHillard with practice breadth across consumer, corporate, public affairs, ESG, and crisis under a single operating structure — one of the broadest stakeholder maps in the industry.

Sources: Axios (February 11, 2026); MARKETECH APAC (February 12, 2026); PRWeek (August 2024 CEO succession); Omnicom Group SEC 8-K (November 26, 2025).

EPR Coverage

Everything-PR has covered FleishmanHillard since 2009. For the full archive see everything-pr.com/tag/fleishman-hillard. See also EPR's case study on the Intel processor launch campaign.

Key Takeaways

• FleishmanHillard is a global communications agency founded in 1946 in St. Louis.
• Owned by Omnicom Group since 1997; sits inside Omnicom Public Relations Group.
• Global CEO J.J. Carter (October 2024–present, succeeded John Saunders); Americas CEO Jillian Janaczek (February 2026–present, formerly CEO of Porter Novelli); Chief Integration Officer Sakima Johnson.
• ~80 offices across 30+ countries.
• Absorbed Porter Novelli as a dedicated brand on February 10, 2026.
• One of four cornerstone networks inside Omnicom Public Relations Group — alongside Golin Ketchum, Weber Shandwick, and MMC.

Related Agency Profiles

Omnicom Public Relations Group sister networks: Weber Shandwick · Golin Ketchum · Porter Novelli · Portland Communications · DeVries Global

Other global networks: Edelman · Burson · MSL · Ogilvy PR · Havas Red · ZENO Group

Crisis & corporate competitors: Brunswick Group · FGS Global · Joele Frank · APCO Worldwide · Teneo

Adjacent EPR coverage: PR Agency Profiles Directory · PR Leaders Directory · Omnicom Group