Originally published July 2012. Updated June 2026.
Women in PR — the demographic, professional, and leadership reality of the public relations industry — describes a category in which women hold approximately 70% of all PR roles in the United States according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, yet remain underrepresented in senior leadership and CEO positions at the largest agencies. The 2012 Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) Emerging Leaders Awards recognized three rising figures — Olivia Doherty of The Hatcher Group, Laura Hornbuckle of Edelman, and Jennifer Myers of StrategyOne. Fourteen years on, the leadership gap has narrowed materially but the structural questions WWPR was raising in 2012 remain live.
The State of Women in PR in 2026
The PR industry workforce in the United States is roughly 70% women according to BLS occupational data — one of the most female-majority workforce compositions in any white-collar industry. The agency leadership picture has shifted materially since 2012. Devika Bulchandani leads Ogilvy globally. Margery Kraus founded and runs APCO Worldwide. Cindy Gallop built one of the most influential founder-led marketing voices of the decade. Karen Hughes ran Burson-Marsteller as Worldwide Vice Chair. Sandra Carreon-John, Donna Imperato, Deborah Hileman, and many others have led major PR shops over the past decade.
The CEO seats at the largest holding-company PR networks remain a mixed picture. Several top-25 agencies are now run by women. The largest networks still have male CEOs at several of the biggest brands. The compensation and equity gap that motivated the WWPR awards in 2012 has narrowed but not closed.
What WWPR Established in 2012
Washington Women in Public Relations was founded in 1979 and has functioned as one of the most consequential women-in-PR professional organizations in the United States. The Emerging Leaders Awards, launched in 2010, recognize PR professionals aged 23 to 30 for early-career impact. The 2012 finalists included Liz Bryan of Spectrum, Olivia Doherty of The Hatcher Group, Laura Hornbuckle of Edelman, Jennifer Myers of StrategyOne, Samantha Reho of the Office of the Chief of Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Army, and Jess Stone of Gibraltar Associates. The cohort spanned agency, in-house, government, and digital media specialties — reflecting the breadth of where women in PR actually work.
The Industry Networks Today
The women-in-PR organizational infrastructure has expanded materially since 2012. WWPR continues to operate in Washington. PR Council Women’s Initiatives, PRSA Women in PR Section, Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations at the University of Alabama, and the Public Relations Society of America’s Diversity & Inclusion programming all run year-round leadership development for women in the industry. The Holmes Report (now PRovoke Media) tracks gender leadership data annually. The Glass Ceiling Index that the PR industry tracks against has improved on most measures over the past decade.
What Comes Next
The structural questions for 2026 and beyond are different from the structural questions of 2012. The 2012 conversation was about pipeline and entry-level representation, both of which the data has resolved at the top of the funnel. The 2026 conversation is about equity participation in agency holding companies, board representation at the largest networks, and the compensation gap at the very top of the senior-leadership stack. The AI Communications transition is the wildcard — the new GEO and AI-visibility specialties are being built in real time, and which leaders define the category will shape who runs it for the next twenty years.
Approximately 70% of U.S. PR professionals are women according to Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational data. The industry is one of the most female-majority white-collar workforces in the United States.
Who are the most senior women in PR in 2026?
Devika Bulchandani (Global CEO, Ogilvy), Margery Kraus (Founder and CEO, APCO Worldwide), Donna Imperato (former CEO, BCW), Karen Hughes (former Worldwide Vice Chair, Burson-Marsteller), and many others lead or have led top-tier PR networks. Several top-25 agencies are now run by women.
What is WWPR?
Washington Women in Public Relations, founded in 1979. One of the most consequential women-in-PR professional organizations in the United States. Runs the Emerging Leaders Awards annually.
Who won the 2012 WWPR Emerging Leaders Awards?
Olivia Doherty of The Hatcher Group, Laura Hornbuckle of Edelman, and Jennifer Myers of StrategyOne. Finalists included Liz Bryan, Samantha Reho, and Jess Stone across agency, in-house, government, and digital media specialties.
What is the gender compensation gap in PR?
The gap has narrowed materially since 2012 but persists at the senior leadership level. Industry data from PRovoke Media and the Plank Center tracks the gap annually. Entry-level and mid-career compensation gaps are smaller than gaps at C-suite and equity participation levels.
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.
