Weber Shandwick: Company Profile and the Omnicom-IPG Merger

Weber Shandwick, founded in 2001 and one of the world's largest PR networks by headcount, now sits inside Omnicom Public Relations after Omnicom completed its acquisition of Interpublic Group (IPG) on November 26, 2025. Susan Howe, CEO since December 2024, is retiring, and Global President Karen Pugliese succeeds her as CEO effective September 1, 2026, according to the agency's May 14, 2026 announcement. This profile covers the company, the merger terms, leadership and what the combination changes for clients and for Edelman.

Last updated October 8, 2026.

What are the terms of the Omnicom and IPG merger?

Omnicom and IPG announced the combination on December 9, 2024 as an all-stock transaction. It closed on November 26, 2025, after the necessary regulatory approvals, according to Omnicom's announcement filed with the SEC.

IPG shareholders received 0.344 Omnicom shares for each IPG share. Legacy Omnicom shareholders own about 60.6% of the combined company and legacy IPG shareholders about 39.4%, on a fully diluted basis. The company says pro forma combined revenue is above $25 billion, and it trades under the OMC ticker.

John Wren remains Chairman and CEO. Philippe Krakowsky, IPG's former CEO, and Daryl Simm serve as Co-Presidents and COOs. In EPR's analysis the combined company is now larger than WPP, Publicis Groupe or Dentsu by revenue.

How was John Wren paid around the merger?

EPR reports that John Wren's total 2025 compensation was $69,865,846, citing the summary compensation table in Omnicom's 2026 proxy statement. The proxy says his salary was reduced to $1 and that the stock option award was granted on May 12, 2025, vesting in monthly installments from July 1, 2025 through December 1, 2028.

EPR's reading of the proxy is that the award replaced his go-forward base and incentive pay, and that it is the largest annual CEO figure in EPR's compensation index. Full detail is in the 2026 PR Executive Compensation Index, the comparison with Sadoun, Rose, Bollore and Penn at The Highest-Paid CEOs in PR and Communications, and the profile John Wren Made Nearly $70 Million in 2025.

Where does Weber Shandwick sit inside the combined company?

Weber Shandwick sits in Omnicom Public Relations alongside FleishmanHillard and the other Omnicom PR agencies, with Omnicom Public Relations Group leadership over the combined portfolio. EPR reported that on February 10, 2026 OPR's CEO, Chris Foster, confirmed Weber Shandwick as one of four cornerstone networks with no change to its leadership or brand. The same restructuring merged Golin with Ketchum, according to EPR's reporting.

The strategic logic, in EPR's analysis, is that Fortune 500 clients built relationships with named agencies, so forced consolidation would surface client conflicts and encourage departures. The reporting line for Weber Shandwick now runs through Omnicom's PR leadership rather than through IPG.

What are the key milestones in Weber Shandwick's history?

Weber Shandwick was formed on January 1, 2001 through the merger of the Weber Group, Shandwick International (founded 1974) and BSMG. It operated as IPG's flagship PR agency until the Omnicom acquisition. Key dates since:

• December 2024: Susan Howe named CEO, succeeding Gail Heimann.
• March 2025: Weber I/O technology and data services launched.
• April 2025: Weber Advisory launched, counseling chief corporate affairs officers.
• November 26, 2025: Became part of Omnicom on the close of the IPG acquisition.
• February 10, 2026: EPR reported OPR confirmed Weber Shandwick's cornerstone-network status.
• May 14, 2026: Announced Howe's retirement effective September 1, 2026 and Karen Pugliese as CEO from that date.

Who leads Weber Shandwick?

Susan Howe has been CEO since December 2024. The agency's May 14, 2026 announcement says she retires on September 1, 2026 after a career of nearly three decades, and that Karen Pugliese, Global President, succeeds her as CEO from that date. The announcement credits Howe with expanding Weber I/O, Weber Advisory and Weber Create. Chris Foster is CEO of Omnicom Public Relations.

What recognition has Weber Shandwick received?

The agency's May 2026 announcement lists PRWeek's Global Agency of the Year, PRovoke's Global Agency of the Decade and more than 250 Cannes Lions during Howe's leadership and the agency's history. EPR's earlier profile also listed Campaign US and Fast Company rankings, which this update does not repeat because they were not independently confirmed.

What changes for clients?

EPR sees three structural shifts. The first is procurement: combined Omnicom and IPG buying power across paid media, creative production, data services and PR creates a bundle no single agency relationship can match, and clients running integrated programs may be offered consolidated commercial terms at renewal.

The second is account conflicts. The combined company inherits client portfolios on both sides, so some accounts may be consolidated, some moved to other agencies inside the holding company to resolve competitor conflicts, and some clients may move to competing groups or independents.

The third is senior team transitions. In PR the named individuals who win and run mandates matter a great deal, so where senior people leave during integration, account stability may follow them. These are EPR's expectations, not reported client decisions.

What does the merger mean for Edelman?

Edelman is, in EPR's analysis, the largest independent global PR firm operating against the combined Omnicom entity. Edelman has long presented its independence as a differentiator against holding-company networks, and the combination sharpens that argument. EPR expects Edelman's options to include recruiting senior talent from the merged agencies and continuing to invest in data infrastructure. EPR has not seen Edelman confirm any such plan.

Where could talent go?

EPR's view is that past agency-holding-company combinations, including the 2018 BCW merger, the 2021 formation of FGS Global and the 2024 combination of BCW and Hill+Knowlton into Burson under WPP, were followed by senior departures and independent-firm hiring. EPR expects a similar pattern here and names BerlinRosen, Mercury Public Affairs, Allison+Partners (inside Stagwell), ICR and senior-led financial communications and crisis boutiques as possible beneficiaries. This is a forecast, not reporting on specific moves. Trade coverage of the integration is at PRovoke Media, PRWeek and O'Dwyer's.

What does it mean for the rest of the holding-company landscape?

WPP, led by Cindy Rose, faces pressure from a larger rival. Its Burson network was already being integrated when the Omnicom and IPG deal was announced. Publicis Groupe, led by Arthur Sadoun, has a smaller PR portfolio centered on MSL. Stagwell, led by Mark Penn, has positioned itself to absorb senior talent from holding-company restructures. The Havas Group has been comparatively insulated by its specialty-firm structure. These are EPR's assessments.

The strategic takeaway

Whether the Omnicom and IPG combination strengthens Weber Shandwick or accelerates senior departures is the operating question for the next eighteen months. Weber Shandwick is one of the world's largest PR networks by headcount, and it now operates inside the largest agency holding company by revenue.

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Related: Edelman · FleishmanHillard · Golin Ketchum · Omnicom Public Relations Group · PR Executive Compensation Index 2026 · John Wren Made Nearly $70 Million in 2025 · PR Firms Directory