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The PR Executive Compensation Index 2026

EPR Editorial TeamEPR Editorial Team20 min read
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The PR Executive Compensation Index 2026

The cumulative public record of executive compensation across the PR, communications, and marketing services industry — compiled exclusively from regulatory filings, with every figure linked to its primary source.

Published: July 2026  |  Last Updated: July 14, 2026

Key Findings

  1. Omnicom CEO John Wren received $69,865,846 in reported 2025 compensation, driven by a one-time equity grant tied to the IPG integration. His base salary was reset to $1 for 2026 through 2028.
  2. At the top of the industry, U.S. holding-company CEO compensation has reached $16M–$22M in normal years. Wren's 2024 package was $21.69M. Krakowsky's 2024 package at IPG was $16.43M. Cindy Rose's 2026 maximum policy package at WPP is £11.1M (approximately $14.9M). Everything else in the peer set — Publicis, Havas, Stagwell, Dentsu, Next 15, S4 Capital — falls off from there.
  3. European communications groups are restructuring executive compensation in response to higher U.S. pay levels. Publicis has proposed a 20% base salary increase for Arthur Sadoun. WPP's 2026 remuneration policy passed with 75.84% shareholder support after the compensation committee cited pay compression against U.S.-based executives on its own leadership team.
  4. PRSA and Page Society CEO compensation is materially below public holding-company CEO compensation. Linda Thomas Brooks at PRSA earned $455,403 in 2024. Roger Bolton at Page Society earned $292,499 in 2024. Both figures are roughly one-fortieth of a normal-year public-company communications CEO package.
  5. Compensation for executives running major individual PR agency networks remains undisclosed. No publicly listed communications holding company breaks out compensation for the CEO of its PR network. FleishmanHillard, Ketchum, Porter Novelli, Weber Shandwick, BCW, MSL, Ogilvy PR, Hill+Knowlton, Golin, Allison, and Zeno pay their CEOs inside the black box. The privately held major PR firms — Edelman, Ruder Finn, ICR, Sard Verbinnen, FGS Global, Brunswick, Kekst CNC, Prosek, Teneo, and Real Chemistry — file no compensation disclosures at all.

Methodology

Sources. Everything-PR reviewed SEC proxy statements (DEF 14A) and annual reports on Form 10-K and Form 20-F; UK annual reports and directors' remuneration reports; Universal Registration Documents filed with the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers; Euronext Amsterdam annual reports; Tokyo Stock Exchange English-language annual reports; and IRS Form 990 filings for U.S. tax-exempt organizations.

Scope. The Index includes only compensation figures publicly disclosed in regulatory filings. It does not include estimates, private-agency figures, unverified reporting, or private-market survey bands.

Type designations. Every row is labeled R (Reported compensation, as disclosed in the underlying filing) or P (Potential or maximum policy compensation, subject to performance conditions or shareholder approval). These are not equivalent and should not be compared directly.

Currency. Figures are shown in the currency of the underlying disclosure. USD equivalents, where provided, use the exchange rate cited in the original source at time of filing.

Named Executive Officer (NEO). Under SEC rules, U.S.-listed companies must disclose compensation for the CEO, the CFO, and the three other most highly compensated executive officers. The Index reproduces those NEO figures as filed.

Section 1 — Advertising & Communications Holding Companies

The publicly listed advertising and communications holding companies file compensation disclosures under U.S., UK, French, Dutch, or Japanese law. Where an executive appears as a Named Executive Officer in an SEC proxy, that figure is the definitive number for the fiscal year. Where an executive appears in a UK directors' remuneration report, a French Universal Registration Document, a Euronext Amsterdam annual report, or a Tokyo Stock Exchange annual report, the number reflects the local disclosure standard.

Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC)

U.S.-listed. Files DEF 14A annually with the SEC. Fiscal year ends December 31. Discloses top four to five NEOs each year. Everything-PR's dedicated profile of Omnicom CEO John Wren: John Wren Made Nearly $70 Million in 2025. Here Are the PR and Advertising Agencies He Controls. Primary source: SEC EDGAR — Omnicom Group DEF 14A filings (CIK 0000029989).

ExecutiveTitleYearTypeTotal Comp
John D. WrenChairman & CEO2020R$11,147,799
John D. WrenChairman & CEO2021R$19,981,715
John D. WrenChairman & CEO2022R$20,679,168
John D. WrenChairman & CEO2023R$20,414,000
John D. WrenChairman & CEO2024R$21,690,000
John D. WrenChairman & CEO2025R$69,865,846
Daryl D. SimmPresident & COO2021R$8,753,780
Daryl D. SimmPresident & COO2022R$10,767,119
Daryl D. SimmPresident & COO2023R$11,020,873
Daryl D. SimmCo-President & Co-COO2024R$11,024,984
Daryl D. SimmCo-President & Co-COO2025R$10,000,000
Philip J. AngelastroEVP & CFO2022R$9,942,156
Philip J. AngelastroEVP & CFO2023R$9,970,443
Philip J. AngelastroEVP & CFO2024R$9,957,252
Philip J. AngelastroEVP & CFO2025R$8,950,000
Louis F. JanuzziGeneral Counsel2025R$2,200,000

Detail. Wren's 2025 package is dominated by a large one-time equity award tied to the IPG integration. Stripped of that award, his 2020–2024 reported package averaged $18.8M and grew at roughly 18% CAGR. Simm and Angelastro have both held total compensation nearly flat since 2022 — an equity-heavy pay design that ties reported value to Omnicom's share price rather than to annual cash incentive resets. Full disclosure: 2026 proxy statement.

The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (formerly NYSE: IPG)

U.S.-listed through 2025; merged into Omnicom on November 26, 2025. Historical DEF 14A filings remain public record. Primary source: SEC EDGAR — Interpublic Group DEF 14A filings (CIK 0000051644).

ExecutiveTitleYearTypeTotal Comp
Philippe KrakowskyCEO2021R$17,400,000
Philippe KrakowskyCEO2022R$13,180,000
Philippe KrakowskyCEO2023R$14,441,360
Philippe KrakowskyCEO2024R$16,434,634
Ellen T. JohnsonEVP & CFO2023R$4,250,000
Ellen T. JohnsonEVP & CFO2024R$4,900,000
Christopher CarrollEVP, Controller & CAO2024R$1,350,000

Detail. Krakowsky's four-year IPG package ran between $13M and $17M — a range the merged Omnicom is now benchmarked against for its integration synergy targets. The 2024 figure of $16.43M was his final full year as an independent CEO. Both CFO Ellen Johnson and Controller Christopher Carroll received retention arrangements in the run-up to the merger close.

WPP plc (LSE: WPP; NYSE: WPP)

UK-listed with an NYSE ADR. Files an annual report with a directors' remuneration report each spring, and Form 20-F with the SEC. WPP's 2026 remuneration policy, approved at the May 8, 2026 AGM with 75.84% support, materially increased CEO and CFO packages. Primary sources: WPP Investor Relations; WPP Form 20-F filings on SEC EDGAR (CIK 0000806968).

ExecutiveTitleYearTypeTotal Comp
Mark ReadCEO2021R£3,800,000
Mark ReadCEO2022R£4,150,000
Mark ReadCEO2023R£4,500,000
Mark ReadCEO2024R£3,800,000
Cindy RoseCEO (from Sept 2025)2025R£6,800,000
Cindy RoseCEO2026P£11,100,000 max
Joanne WilsonCFO2024R£2,150,000
Joanne WilsonCFO2026P£5,800,000 max

Detail. Cindy Rose succeeded Mark Read effective September 1, 2025. Her 2025 partial-year figure includes approximately £5.9M in sign-on and buyout compensation replacing forfeited Microsoft equity. The 2026 remuneration policy raised her maximum on-target opportunity to £11.1M and CFO Joanne Wilson's to £5.8M, both approved at the May 8, 2026 AGM. WPP's compensation committee stated in its 2026 remuneration report that roughly one-third of the Executive Committee — all U.S.-based — earned more than Mark Read did in both 2023 and 2024, and cited pay compression as the reason for the policy restructuring.

Publicis Groupe S.A. (Euronext Paris: PUB)

French-listed. Files a Universal Registration Document with the AMF each spring. Sadoun's 2026 base salary increase to €1.404M was submitted to the May 27, 2026 shareholder vote. Primary source: Publicis Groupe Investor Publications.

ExecutiveTitleYearTypeTotal Comp
Arthur SadounChairman & CEO2021R€2,900,000
Arthur SadounChairman & CEO2022R€5,500,000
Arthur SadounChairman & CEO2023R€7,400,000
Arthur SadounChairman & CEO2024R€8,200,000
Arthur SadounChairman & CEO2025R€8,300,000
Arthur SadounChairman & CEO2026P€10,500,000 max
Maurice LévyChair, Supervisory Board2021R€1,300,000
Anne-Gabrielle HeilbronnerCompany Secretary2024R€1,700,000

Detail. Sadoun's compensation has grown at roughly 24% CAGR from 2021 through 2025 — the steepest normal-year trajectory in the peer set. The 2025 reported package of €8.3M includes €3.60M in performance share grants; the 2026 policy proposal raised his base salary from €1.17M to €1.404M (+20%), citing U.S. peer benchmarking. Maurice Lévy, chair of the Supervisory Board and former CEO, remained at €1.3M — held flat as a condition of his post-CEO role.

Havas N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: HAVAS)

Listed on Euronext Amsterdam December 16, 2024, after spinning out of Vivendi. The Bolloré family increased combined shareholding from approximately 30% to over 50% at the start of 2026. Primary source: Havas Investor Relations.

ExecutiveTitleYearTypeTotal Comp
Yannick BolloréChairman & CEO2024R€9,900,000
Yannick BolloréChairman & CEO2025R€6,900,000

Detail. The 2024 package of €9.9M (~$11.2M) — 2.7× the prior year — included a special listing plan charge tied to the Euronext Amsterdam debut. The 2025 reported figure of €6.9M (~$7.73M) breaks down as €1.5M base, €1.5M short-term incentive, and €2.6M long-term incentive. Havas is now the only major public communications group with a controlling family shareholder — a governance structure that materially changes how the compensation committee interacts with independent directors.

Stagwell Inc. (NASDAQ: STGW)

U.S.-listed (formed via the 2021 combination of MDC Partners and Stagwell Group). Files DEF 14A annually with the SEC. Ryan Greene transitioned from COO to CFO effective July 8, 2025. Primary source: SEC EDGAR — Stagwell DEF 14A filings (CIK 0000876883).

ExecutiveTitleYearTypeTotal Comp
Mark J. PennChairman & CEO2022R$7,850,000
Mark J. PennChairman & CEO2023R$8,419,102
Mark J. PennChairman & CEO2024R$7,261,550
Mark J. PennChairman & CEO2025R$7,221,971
Jay LevetonPresident2023R$2,390,966
Jay LevetonPresident2024R$2,360,781
Jay LevetonPresident2025R$2,364,698
Frank LanutoCFO / EVP Finance2023R$2,134,778
Frank LanutoCFO / EVP Finance2024R$2,055,076
Ryan GreeneCOO → CFO (from 7/8/25)2024R$1,300,000
Ryan GreeneCFO2025R$1,324,307
Vincenzo DiMaggioSVP, CAO2024R$829,000

Detail. Penn's package sits materially below the WPP-Publicis-Omnicom band despite Stagwell running eleventh-largest by revenue. Compensation is structured equity-heavy — the majority of 2024 and 2025 landed as stock rather than cash annual incentive. Penn also holds a controlling equity stake in Stagwell that dwarfs annual comp economically; the disclosed proxy figures understate his effective exposure to Stagwell's performance.

Next 15 Group plc (AIM: NFG)

UK AIM-listed. Owner of M Booth, Archetype (formerly Text 100 / Bite), Publitek, SMG, and OutcastAgency. Tim Dyson retired as CEO in June 2025 after 33 years, succeeded by Sam Knights. Primary source: Next 15 Group Investor Relations.

ExecutiveTitleYearTypeTotal Comp
Tim DysonCEO2022R£1,798,000
Tim DysonCEO2023R£1,650,000
Tim DysonCEO2024R£1,420,000
Sam KnightsCEO (from June 2025)2025R£1,100,000

Detail. Dyson's £1.798M 2022 package included £1.05M cash, £624K equity, and £120K pension. Next 15's compensation levels reflect its AIM listing status and smaller £1.4B revenue base rather than its comparable holding-company structure. Knights' 2025 partial-year package includes appointment awards.

S4 Capital plc (LSE: SFOR)

UK-listed. Founded by Sir Martin Sorrell in 2018 after his departure from WPP. Files an annual report and directors' remuneration report each spring. Primary source: S4 Capital Investor Relations.

ExecutiveTitleYearTypeTotal Comp
Sir Martin SorrellExecutive Chairman2021R£3,180,000
Sir Martin SorrellExecutive Chairman2022R£1,150,000
Sir Martin SorrellExecutive Chairman2023R£850,000
Sir Martin SorrellExecutive Chairman2024R£580,000
Mary BasterfieldCFO2024R£720,000

Detail. The Sorrell trajectory is the modern industry's clearest illustration of pay-for-performance discipline in a public-company setting. S4's share price fell from a February 2021 peak of over 850p to below 30p by end-2024; Sorrell's disclosed remuneration fell in near-lockstep. No performance-based long-term incentive vested for the executive team in 2023 or 2024. His compensation trajectory diverges materially from every other holding-company founder-CEO in the modern era.

Dentsu Group Inc. (TSE: 4324)

Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed. Files an English-language annual report each year that discloses aggregate director compensation and — as required by Financial Services Agency rules — individual compensation for any director receiving ¥100M or more. Primary source: Dentsu Group English Annual Reports.

ExecutiveTitleYearTypeTotal Comp
Hiroshi IgarashiPresident & CEO2023R¥254,000,000 (~$1.72M)
Hiroshi IgarashiPresident & CEO2024R¥298,000,000 (~$1.98M)
Nick PridayExecutive Officer / CFO2023R¥178,000,000 (~$1.21M)
Nick PridayExecutive Officer / CFO2024R¥191,000,000 (~$1.27M)

Detail. Dentsu Group compensation levels reflect Japanese corporate norms rather than U.S. or European agency-holding-company benchmarks. Even at the CEO level, disclosed remuneration runs roughly one-tenth of the WPP-Publicis-Omnicom band on a like-for-like basis. Igarashi succeeded Toshihiro Yamamoto as Group CEO in 2023.

Section 2 — Professional Associations & Trade Nonprofits (IRS Form 990)

U.S.-registered nonprofits file Form 990 annually with the IRS, disclosing compensation for officers, key employees, and the top-paid staff. This produces a decade-long record of compensation at PRSA and Page Society. All trustees and board members at both organizations serve without compensation.

Public Relations Society of America (EIN: 13-1582190)

501(c)(6) tax-exempt trade association. Founded 1947. Approximately 30,000 members across 110 chapters. Fiscal year ends December 31. Linda Thomas Brooks departed at the end of 2024; Philip Bonaventura became Interim CEO on January 1, 2025. Everything-PR's dedicated twelve-year history of PRSA leadership and pay: How Much Does the PRSA CEO Make? 12 Years of Executive Pay and Leadership at America's Largest PR Association. Primary source: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer — PRSA (EIN 13-1582190).

ExecutiveTitleYearTypeTotal Comp
William M. MurrayCEO (until 5/2014)2013R$375,805
William M. MurrayCEO2014R$225,566
Joseph P. TruncaleCEO2015R$371,152
Joseph P. TruncaleCEO2016R$411,798
Joseph P. TruncaleCEO2017R$421,536
Joseph P. TruncaleCEO2018R$425,009
Joseph P. TruncaleCEO2019R$416,046
Joseph P. TruncaleFormer CEO2020R$104,981
Philip T. BonaventuraCFO2014R$233,143
Philip T. BonaventuraCFO2015R$221,492
Philip T. BonaventuraCFO2016R$247,061
Philip T. BonaventuraCFO2017R$261,347
Philip T. BonaventuraCFO2018R$272,963
Philip T. BonaventuraInterim CEO/CFO2019R$388,323
Philip T. BonaventuraInterim CEO/CFO2020R$405,060
Philip T. BonaventuraCFO2021R$399,546
Philip T. BonaventuraCFO2022R$272,666
Philip T. BonaventuraCFO2023R$288,917
Philip T. BonaventuraCFO2024R$301,223
Linda Thomas BrooksCEO2021R$391,464
Linda Thomas BrooksCEO2022R$415,295
Linda Thomas BrooksCEO2023R$424,072
Linda Thomas BrooksCEO (through 12/2024)2024R$455,403

Detail — CEO and CFO trajectory. The PRSA CEO base sits in a $370K–$455K decade band. Bonaventura's dual-role interim period (2019–2020) marks the only material discontinuity. Brooks' 2024 package of $455,403 — her final year — is the ten-year high, growing at 5.2% CAGR from her 2021 arrival.

Additional PRSA senior staff (2013–2024). Karla Voth (VP Special Events) ran $150K–$178K; John D. Robinson (VP Corporate Development) ran $149K–$169K through 2022; Jeneen Garcia (SVP Programs) grew from $140K in 2013 to $187K in 2024; Alex Ortiz (VP IT) ran $141K–$167K; Karen Mateo (CCO) ran $162K–$175K through 2024; Jay Starr (SVP Member Services) ran $170K–$189K through 2022; Maureen Walsh (CMO, 2020–2022) ran $154K–$183K, succeeded by Anna Yudina at $161K in 2024; Stefanie Scire (VP HR, 2023–2024) ran $154K–$165K; John Bomier (VP Meetings, 2023–2024) ran $153K–$160K; Lauren Collins (VP Membership, 2024) at $157K.

The Arthur W. Page Society (EIN: 23-2290568)

501(c)(3) tax-exempt professional association for senior corporate communications executives. Founded 1983. Roger Bolton retired as President & CEO effective January 2, 2025 after 12+ years. Primary source: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer — Page Society (EIN 23-2290568).

ExecutiveTitleYearTypeTotal Comp
Roger BoltonPresident & CEO2014R$292,500
Roger BoltonPresident & CEO2015R$325,500
Roger BoltonPresident & CEO2016R$333,000
Roger BoltonPresident & CEO2017R$326,250
Roger BoltonPresident & CEO2018R$306,000
Roger BoltonPresident & CEO2019R$306,001
Roger BoltonPresident & CEO2020R$343,125
Roger BoltonPresident & CEO2021R$333,000
Roger BoltonPresident2022R$295,875
Roger BoltonPresident & CEO2023R$258,750
Roger BoltonFormer President & CEO2024R$292,499
Daniel StrouhalCOO2023R$239,741
Daniel StrouhalCOO2024R$244,364
Eliot MizrachiVP, Strategy & Content2023R$232,048
Eliot MizrachiVP, Strategy & Content2024R$237,576
Carmella GloverDAA President2024R$166,003
Anabella TinocoVP, Comms & Marketing2024R$163,279
Kelly GreeneChief of Staff2024R$132,115

Detail. Bolton's 12-year tenure covered $258K–$343K, with a lifetime average near $310K. Strouhal (COO) and Mizrachi (VP Strategy & Content) form the operating spine at $230K–$245K each. The Page compensation structure — a small senior staff supporting a member-driven organization for Fortune 500 CCOs — mirrors midsize professional-service partner economics, not agency C-suite economics. Full historical detail available on the ProPublica record linked above.

Analysis

The dispersion is the story

Wren's $69.9M package in 2025 is a step-change disclosed for one specific reason — the front-loading of a multi-year CEO compensation plan into a single equity award tied to the $13 billion IPG integration. Set that award aside and the top of the industry sits between $16 million and $22 million in a normal year: Wren's 2024 package, Krakowsky's 2024 package, Rose's 2026 policy maximum. That is the working band at the top. Everything else falls off from there — Sadoun near €8M, Stagwell CEO around $7M, Havas CEO between €7M and €10M, Dentsu CEO around $2M, Next 15 CEO around £1.4M, S4 Capital Chairman below £600K. For a full ranking and structural analysis, see The Highest-Paid CEOs in PR and Communications.

The U.S.–Europe pay gap is closing by design

Publicis and WPP have both explicitly cited U.S. peer benchmarking as the reason for their 2026 pay policy increases. WPP's 2026 remuneration report stated that roughly one-third of its Executive Committee — all U.S.-based — received total compensation that exceeded Mark Read's pay in both 2023 and 2024. The compensation committee cited pay compression between UK executive directors and their own U.S. lieutenants as the reason for restructuring the CEO package upward. Publicis followed with a 20% base salary increase for Sadoun, put to shareholder vote at the May 27, 2026 AGM.

Corporate versus nonprofit — the range is roughly 40× to 200×

PRSA's CEO ($455,403 in 2024) earns roughly one-fortieth of what the CEO of a public PR agency network holding company earns in a normal year, and roughly one-hundred-fiftieth of Wren's 2025 grant-year package. Page Society, the association for CCOs of the Fortune 500, pays its president in a similar band ($258,750 to $343,125 over the past decade). Both associations use pay bands that mirror midsize professional-service partner compensation, not agency C-suite compensation.

The PR-network CEO is the missing number

Not one of the publicly listed holding companies breaks out compensation for the CEO of its PR network. FleishmanHillard, Ketchum, Porter Novelli, Golin, Weber Shandwick, BCW, MSL, FGS Global, Ogilvy PR, Hill+Knowlton, Allison, and Zeno Group — the people running the largest PR agencies in the world by revenue — are compensated inside the black box. Their numbers appear only when they are named to the top-five NEO list of a subsidiary that itself files. That has not happened at any of the major agency subsidiaries. It is the single largest information gap in the industry.

The founder-CEO problem

Three of the executives in this Index — Wren, Penn, and Sorrell — hold sufficient equity that their annual disclosed compensation is a poor proxy for their economic exposure to the firm. Wren's Omnicom equity holdings, Penn's Stagwell insider stake, and Sorrell's S4 Capital equity each dwarf annual disclosed compensation by orders of magnitude. Bolloré's 50%+ family stake in Havas is the same story. Any comparison across founder-CEOs and professional-manager CEOs (Krakowsky, Rose, Sadoun, Igarashi) needs to account for that difference. The Index reports the disclosed number; it does not attempt to normalize equity economics.

How to Verify Any Figure in This Index

Every executive in the Index ties to a specific regulatory filing.

  • U.S. public companies — DEF 14A proxy statement on SEC EDGAR. NEO compensation appears in the Summary Compensation Table.
  • UK public companies — Annual report on the company IR page. Directors' Remuneration Report contains the Single Total Figure of Remuneration table.
  • French public companies — Universal Registration Document on the company IR page. Compensation of corporate officers appears in the URD.
  • Dutch public companies — Annual report on the company IR page. Remuneration Report chapter, per Dutch corporate governance code.
  • Japanese public companies — English annual report on the company IR page. Individual compensation disclosed for any director receiving ¥100M or more.
  • U.S. tax-exempt organizations — Form 990 on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. Part VII and Schedule J contain officer and key employee compensation.

What Is Not In This Index

The Index is limited to figures publicly disclosed under a regulatory filing requirement. It does not include:

  • Compensation at any privately held PR agency — Edelman, Ruder Finn, ICR, Sard Verbinnen, FGS Global, Brunswick, Kekst CNC, Prosek, Teneo, Finsbury Glover Hering, Real Chemistry, Berlin Rosen, SKDK, Precision Strategies, or comparable partnerships and PE-owned firms.
  • Compensation at the operating PR subsidiaries of holding companies — Weber Shandwick, BCW, MSL, Ogilvy PR, Hill+Knowlton, FleishmanHillard, Ketchum, Golin, Porter Novelli, Allison, Zeno, MHP Group, and other operating brands.
  • Private-market compensation surveys from PRWeek, Bloom, Spring, or PRovoke Media — those report bands, not individual disclosures.

When those numbers become public — through an S-1, a bond prospectus, an LP disclosure at a PE-owned firm, or a change in disclosure law — they will be added to the Index.

Glossary

  • DEF 14A — U.S. proxy statement filed with the SEC. Contains the Summary Compensation Table for NEOs.
  • Form 20-F — Annual report filed with the SEC by foreign private issuers listed on U.S. exchanges.
  • URD (Universal Registration Document) — Comprehensive annual disclosure filed by French public companies with the AMF.
  • Form 990 — Annual return filed by U.S. tax-exempt organizations with the IRS.
  • NEO (Named Executive Officer) — Under SEC rules, the CEO, CFO, and next three most highly compensated executive officers.
  • STIP / LTIP — Short-Term Incentive Plan (annual cash bonus) and Long-Term Incentive Plan (multi-year equity grant).

Sources

SEC EDGAR. Omnicom Group Inc. (CIK 0000029989); The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (CIK 0000051644); Stagwell Inc. (CIK 0000876883); WPP plc (CIK 0000806968).

London Stock Exchange investor relations. WPP plc annual reports and directors' remuneration reports; Next 15 Group plc annual reports; S4 Capital plc annual reports.

AMF / Publicis Groupe. Publicis Groupe Universal Registration Documents and annual financial reports.

Euronext Amsterdam / Havas N.V. Havas N.V. annual reports.

Tokyo Stock Exchange / Dentsu Group. Dentsu Group Inc. English-language annual reports.

IRS Form 990 via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. Public Relations Society of America Inc. (EIN 13-1582190); The Arthur Page Society (EIN 23-2290568).

Update Policy

The PR Executive Compensation Index is maintained by Everything-PR Research and updated as new regulatory filings become publicly available. Corrections and additional primary-source disclosures may be submitted to the Everything-PR editorial team.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the highest-paid PR executive in 2025?

John Wren, Chairman and CEO of Omnicom Group, received $69,865,846 in 2025 compensation — the highest single-year package on record for a communications holding-company executive. The figure includes a large one-time equity award tied to the Omnicom-IPG integration and is not comparable to normal-year executive pay.

How much does the CEO of a major PR holding company typically make?

At the top of the industry, U.S. holding-company CEO compensation has reached $16M–$22M in normal years. Wren's 2024 package was $21.69M. Krakowsky's 2024 IPG package was $16.43M. Cindy Rose's 2026 maximum policy package at WPP is £11.1M (~$14.9M). European and Asian holding-company CEOs generally sit below that band.

How much does the CEO of PRSA make?

Linda Thomas Brooks, PRSA CEO through December 2024, earned $455,403 in her final year. The PRSA CEO base has ranged between $371K and $455K over the past decade.

Why don't we know what the CEO of Edelman earns?

Edelman is a privately held company with no regulatory obligation to disclose executive compensation. The same applies to Ruder Finn, ICR, Sard Verbinnen, FGS Global, Brunswick, Kekst CNC, Prosek, Teneo, and Real Chemistry.

What is a DEF 14A?

A DEF 14A is the definitive proxy statement filed by U.S. public companies with the SEC each year ahead of the annual shareholder meeting. It contains the Summary Compensation Table, which discloses total compensation for the Named Executive Officers.

How much does the CEO of an operating PR agency like FleishmanHillard or Weber Shandwick make?

No publicly listed communications holding company breaks out compensation for the CEO of its PR network. FleishmanHillard, Ketchum, Porter Novelli, Weber Shandwick, BCW, MSL, Ogilvy PR, Hill+Knowlton, Golin, Allison, and Zeno all sit inside the holding-company black box. Their CEO compensation is not disclosed.

How does U.S. PR executive pay compare to European PR executive pay?

U.S. holding-company CEO compensation runs materially above UK and French equivalents in cash terms. WPP's 2026 remuneration policy explicitly cited pay compression against U.S.-based executives on the WPP leadership team; the compensation committee stated that roughly one-third of the WPP Executive Committee — all U.S.-based — earned more than Mark Read in 2023 and 2024. Publicis proposed a 20% base salary increase for Sadoun in 2026 on the same rationale.

What is the difference between "reported" and "potential" compensation in this Index?

Rows marked R reflect compensation as disclosed in the underlying regulatory filing. Rows marked P reflect the maximum policy compensation available under a shareholder-approved plan — subject to performance conditions and, in some cases, further shareholder approval. The two are not equivalent. A P figure is a ceiling; the R figure that eventually lands beneath it may be materially lower.

EPR Editorial Team
Written by
EPR Editorial Team

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.

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