Originally published March 2016. Updated June 2026 to trace the full arc from the founding of Omnicom Public Relations Group through the November 2025 close of the Omnicom–IPG combination.
In February 2016, Omnicom integrated its ten major PR firms under a single PR division — Omnicom Public Relations Group — and elevated Karen Van Bergen from CEO of Porter Novelli to lead it. It was a structural shift, dressed as a promotion. A decade later, that 2016 reorganization reads as the first move in the long sequence that produced the November 2025 Omnicom–IPG acquisition and the post-deal lineup operating in 2026.
2016 — The OPRG founding moment
The original OPRG lineup united ten Omnicom PR agencies under one operational umbrella while preserving each as a separate brand: Ketchum, Porter Novelli, FleishmanHillard, Portland, Marina Maher, Gplus, Cone, CLS Strategies, Paul Wilmot Communications, and Mercury — roughly 6,000 employees combined. Van Bergen brought thirteen-plus years at McDonald's in Europe, a senior partner role at FleishmanHillard, and a New York managing-director seat at Porter Novelli into the new CEO role.
John Wren, then and now President and CEO of Omnicom Group, framed the move as a response to "changing client needs and new technologies that are transforming our industry." The same framing — and the same talent-and-acquisition operating logic — would recur every time Omnicom moved a piece on the board over the next decade.
2016–2024 — Quiet consolidation
Between the OPRG founding and the IPG acquisition, Omnicom continued to add and reorganize PR capabilities: Rabin Martin joined OPRG in May 2016 as the group's eleventh agency. FleishmanHillard relocated its U.S. headquarters from St. Louis to Clayton, Missouri in 2024. The holding company's broader investment posture shifted toward commerce, data, and integrated capabilities — building the platform that would absorb a much larger acquisition.
November 2025 — The IPG acquisition closes
Omnicom completed its acquisition of Interpublic Group in November 2025, combining the world's second- and third-largest advertising holding companies into a single platform with combined revenues north of $25 billion and roughly 100,000 employees across more than 100 countries. WPP fell to second place globally. Inside PR, OPRG absorbed IPG's communications agencies — Weber Shandwick, Golin, DeVries Global, Current Global, and Jack Health — under the leadership of OPRG CEO Chris Foster. The full post-deal lineup is documented in our live Omnicom Group directory.
February 2026 — Porter Novelli inside FleishmanHillard
In February 2026, Porter Novelli was integrated into FleishmanHillard as a dedicated brand. Former Porter Novelli CEO Jillian Janaczek became Americas CEO of the combined FH structure, reporting to FleishmanHillard CEO J.J. Carter. Porter Novelli's purpose-driven and social-marketing capabilities now operate as a discipline inside FleishmanHillard — a sequel chapter to the 2016 Van Bergen integration that originally elevated Porter Novelli into the broader OPRG operating structure.
What it means for the industry in 2026
Three structural shifts buyers should track:
Roster consolidation. Several Omnicom and IPG agencies have overlapping client rosters and overlapping practice areas. Expect account migrations, conflict-clearance reviews, and selective brand consolidation through 2026 and 2027.
Senior-talent movement. Major holding-company combinations historically trigger an exit wave of senior practitioners — to boutiques, to independents, to in-house roles, and to AI-native challengers.
Pricing and category pressure. The new platform is large enough to reshape category pricing. Independent and AI-native firms are positioning against scale with specialization and measurement — particularly in AI Communications, where the buyer question has shifted from "who can place a story" to "who can grow our citation share inside ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews."
The throughline
The 2016 OPRG integration and the 2025 IPG acquisition are two chapters of the same operating thesis — that scale, integration, and senior-talent gravity compound. The counter-thesis — that specialization, independence, and AI-native operating models win the next cycle — is the story now being written by the firms competing against OPRG in 2026.
FAQ
What is OPRG? Omnicom Public Relations Group — the PR division of Omnicom Group, founded in early 2016 to integrate the holding company's ten major PR firms under a single operational umbrella while preserving each as a separate brand. OPRG is currently led by CEO Chris Foster.
Did Omnicom acquire Interpublic Group? Yes. Omnicom completed its acquisition of Interpublic Group (IPG) in November 2025, combining the two holding companies into a single platform of roughly 100,000 employees across more than 100 countries.
Is Porter Novelli still an independent agency brand? Porter Novelli was integrated into FleishmanHillard as a dedicated brand in February 2026. Its purpose-driven and social-marketing capabilities now operate as a discipline inside FleishmanHillard.
Where does Weber Shandwick sit now? Weber Shandwick — historically IPG's PR flagship — now operates inside Omnicom Public Relations Group as a result of the November 2025 acquisition.
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
