PR Agency Moves: Brunswick, APCO, Prosek, WPP Hires

PR agency moves from October 1 to 12, 2026 were led by senior hires and new roles. Brunswick hired Ramiro Prudencio from McKinsey, APCO named Kelly Williamson its first chief client officer, Prosek Partners opened a San Francisco office, Golin Ketchum won a CDC campaign with a $65 million minimum, and WPP's Jon Cook announced his exit, according to PRWeek's US news feed.

Which PR agency moves did PRWeek report from October 1 to 12?

PRWeek reported nine agency moves between October 1 and October 12, 2026: five hires or role changes, one office opening, one alliance, one contract win and one holding company exit. The table lists each move with the date PRWeek reported it.

Agency	Move	Reported
Clarity Global	Bob Osmond named first North America managing partner	Oct 1
WPP	Jon Cook, global CEO of VML and CEO of WPP Creative, announces his exit	Oct 2
Brunswick	Ramiro Prudencio joins as a London partner	Oct 6
Prosek Partners	San Francisco office opens, led by partner Nadia Damouni	Oct 6
Sanctuary	Jenny Davey, a 15-year FGS Global crisis specialist, set to become partner	Oct 6
Golin Ketchum	Wins CDC national tobacco education campaign, $65 million minimum	Oct 6
Hoffman Agency	Strategic alliance with United Partners Network	Oct 7
WPP Creative	Names a new CEO to replace Cook	Oct 9
APCO	Kelly Williamson becomes first chief client officer	Oct 12

Who joined Brunswick, Sanctuary and Clarity Global?

Brunswick, Sanctuary and Clarity Global each added a senior partner-level hire in the first two weeks of October 2026. The hires came from consulting, a strategic communications firm and a PR agency.

Brunswick hired Ramiro Prudencio, formerly McKinsey's global communications leader, as a partner based in London, PRWeek reported on October 6. EPR's Brunswick Group profile describes the firm as a partner-led specialist in M&A, financial and crisis communications, founded in London in 1987.

Sanctuary, a strategic advisory agency, is set to add Jenny Davey as a partner. PRWeek's report on Sanctuary says Davey is a crisis communications specialist who spent 15 years at FGS Global.

Clarity Global, a UK-headquartered firm, named Bob Osmond its first North America managing partner, effective October 1. Osmond is the former president of Racepoint Global, according to PRWeek.

What did APCO, Prosek and Hoffman announce?

APCO created a chief client officer role, Prosek Partners opened its seventh US office, and Hoffman Agency announced an alliance with United Partners Network.

APCO named Kelly Williamson as its first chief client officer on October 12. In the newly created position, Williamson leads global client leadership along with the firm's global capital markets and competition practices, PRWeek reported. EPR's profile of APCO founder Margery Kraus covers how the firm began in 1984.

Prosek Partners opened a San Francisco office, its seventh US location, with partner Nadia Damouni leading it. The office supports clients in financial services, fintech and AI, plus a growing healthcare and biotech practice, PRWeek reported on October 6. EPR's Prosek Partners profile lists the firm as one of the largest independent financial communications firms in the US.

Hoffman Agency and United Partners Network announced a strategic alliance the week of October 7, PRWeek reported. The Hoffman Agency is the San Jose technology PR firm that Lou Hoffman founded in 1987, according to EPR's Hoffman Agency profile.

What changed at WPP after Jon Cook's exit?

Jon Cook, global CEO of VML and chief executive of WPP Creative, announced on October 2 that he is leaving WPP after three decades, and WPP Creative named a successor on October 9. PRWeek covered the exit and the replacement.

WPP is also exploring a sale of Burson. EPR's PR agency M&A tracker records Goldman Sachs as adviser, no confirmed buyer, and Burson's 2025 PR revenue at about £667 million across roughly 6,000 staff.

Which agency won a CDC campaign worth at least $65 million?

Golin Ketchum won a national tobacco education campaign from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the work carries a minimum obligation of $65 million, PRWeek reported on October 6. Both Golin and Ketchum had worked on national anti-smoking campaigns before they combined.

Golin Ketchum formed on February 10, 2026 from the merger of Golin (founded in Chicago in 1956) and Ketchum (founded in Pittsburgh in 1923), following Omnicom's acquisition of Interpublic Group. EPR's Golin Ketchum agency profile lists Matt Neale as CEO.

What do this month's PR agency moves have in common?

EPR's reading of PRWeek's reporting finds four patterns in the October moves: outside senior hires, new titles that join client service to practice areas, regional or sector expansion, and changes in network ownership or leadership. The agencies have not described their moves this way.

Pattern	Example from October 1 to 12	What clients can check
Outside senior hires	Brunswick from McKinsey, Sanctuary from FGS Global, Clarity Global from Racepoint Global	Which sector or client group the hire is meant to serve
Titles that join service and practice	APCO's chief client officer also leads the capital markets and competition practices	Who the escalation contact is when a client issue crosses practice areas
Regional or sector expansion	Prosek in San Francisco, Clarity Global in North America, the Hoffman and United Partners Network alliance	Which clients in that region or sector the build-out targets
Network ownership and leadership	New leadership at WPP Creative, Burson sale exploration	Who owns the network and who leads it

What should communicators track next?

The through-line this month is leadership structure: who leads client work, where teams sit and who owns the network. The next items to follow are any Burson buyer announcement and the first client assignments for the new Brunswick and Sanctuary partners. EPR updates its agency acquisitions record as deals are confirmed.