FleishmanHillard today announced the appointment of Della Sweetman to the role of president, Americas and chief strategy officer, effective immediately. In this position Sweetman will be responsible for the performance of the agency’s largest region and for driving enterprise-wide business transformation. She will report to J.J. Carter, who was promoted to FleishmanHillard president and chief executive officer on October 1.

“Della is the right person to step into this critical role leading our largest region, from which she will help drive our transformation,” said Carter. “She understands our agency’s unique strengths and brings operational rigor and growth experience. Della has proven effective in executing change within our organization, which has elevated our work and improved our competitiveness. We have the personal trust that comes from many years working together and will challenge each other to push the agency forward.”

The position is part of the firm’s core leadership team charged with the strategic direction and operational management of the agency. Sweetman will work closely with market leaders in the Americas to align strategies, investments and resourcing to support the needs of its clients and the transformative changes for the agency.  

“We have a foundation of excellent talent and expertise from which to grow and we have an enviable roster of clients,” Sweetman said. “I’m very much looking forward to partnering with our leadership and teams across the Americas to together strengthen our position in the region, while fostering a culture of agility, high performance and constant innovation across the globe.”

Sweetman added, “We’ve entered a time of great disruption for our clients and industry, and we aspire to evolve our solutions, service delivery model, the impact of our work and the experiences of our people. This is an energizing time to be at FleishmanHillard and to take on this role.”

Sweetman has been in the role of chief business development officer for the agency since 2016, when she helped shape a vision for a dedicated growth unit. She has also led the agency’s global Creative, Strategy and Planning practice. Prior to that, she was head of business development for the Americas, served as global client leader for one of the agency’s largest accounts, and was also the former general manager for FleishmanHillard in Southern California.

The strategic partnership will leverage 1MILLION’s brand and artist IP in initiating collaborations on a global scale

Leadership Transition Will Take Effect on Oct. 1, 2024

FleishmanHillard Inc., an Omnicom PR Group (OPRG) agency, today announced that its current Global Chief Operating Officer and President, Americas J.J. Carter will become President and Chief Executive Officer, effective Oct. 1, 2024. He succeeds John Saunders, who will take on the role of Chairman of FleishmanHillard.

Carter, 49, was named the agency’s global chief operating officer and Americas president in 2016. Saunders, 66, was named president and CEO in 2015 after leading FleishmanHillard’s Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

“J.J. has the experience, skills and vision to rapidly expand on the legacy of FleishmanHillard. I am confident in his ability to drive innovation, teamwork and growth that will accelerate FleishmanHillard’s excellence and expand relationships with clients around the world,” stated Chris Foster, CEO of OPRG. “We are grateful for John’s decades of commitment and leadership and look forward to his ongoing guidance as chairman of FleishmanHillard.”

Saunders’ relationship with FleishmanHillard began more than 37 years ago, when the agency he founded in Ireland became an affiliate. Later, John joined with FleishmanHillard to form what was then known as FleishmanHillard Saunders in Ireland. In 2023, he became the first individual in the communications industry to be conferred with an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree from Dublin City University.

“I look back on more than three decades at FleishmanHillard with pride and gratitude for the support of so many colleagues around the world and the trust that some of the world’s leading companies have placed in us. However, it’s now time for me to step back and spend more time with my family both in Dublin and in London and with my six young grandchildren whom I miss being so far away from.

“I have full confidence in J.J. as president and CEO. I have seen him in action over many years and respect his strengths, and his ability to lead no matter the pace and complexity of change. J.J. is a person of outstanding personal integrity and I wholeheartedly endorse his selection,” Saunders said.

Carter has been with FleishmanHillard since 2005 and has held a variety of key leadership roles. He previously oversaw the agency’s East and West regions in the United States along with Canada and Mexico, was general manager of one of the firm’s largest offices in San Francisco, was global client relationship manager for one of the agency’s biggest multinational accounts, and he built on the firm’s existing experience to launch the agency’s global sports marketing practice. During his time at FleishmanHillard, he has also recruited transformative leaders across key markets, global accounts and practice areas. 

“It’s an enormous privilege to follow John and lead the organization into the future during one of the most complex and consequential moments in our history,” Carter said. “To accelerate our growth, deliver transformative work for clients and create a best-in-class experience for our people, we will embrace our strengths as a trusted client partner, while also expanding our capabilities and exploring new tools and ways of working together. We will always deliver intelligent, creative, audience-first solutions that drive impact for our clients.”

Regarded as a trusted advisor to iconic brands in their biggest moments and on the largest global stages, Carter has counseled clients through IPOs, CEO transitions, groundbreaking product launches, complex mergers and global sponsorship activations. He excels at connecting brand, business strategy, technology and leadership into cohesive narratives that resonate with employees, customers, investors, business partners and media alike.

Carter will report to Foster and will be a member of OPRG’s global leadership team.

ST. LOUIS, MO – The Better World Campaign (BWC), a sister organization to the United Nations Foundation, has appointed FleishmanHillard as the communications agency to provide strategic communications and public affairs support, reinforcing the importance of the U.N. goals, work and impact in the United States.

The BWC works to foster a strong, effective relationship between the United States and the United Nations that promotes core American interests and builds a more secure, prosperous and healthy world. BWC engages policymakers, media and the American public to increase awareness of the critical role played by the U.N. in world affairs and the value of constructive U.S.-U.N. relations.

The work is being led by FleishmanHillard’s International Affairs and Public Affairs teams, and will also include members of DDC Public Affairs in Washington, D.C.

“We are thrilled to support the Better World Campaign in its effort to promote a stronger relationship between the United States and the United Nations,” said Colin Hart, FleishmanHillard partner and International Affairs lead for the United States. “The U.N. is a critical forum for the U.S. – and the American people – to safeguard our interests and navigate global uncertainty at a time when the world is rife with challenges.”

“The world needs strong partnership between the United Nations and the United States more than ever,” said Peter Yeo, president of the Better World Campaign. “We are excited to have FleishmanHillard’s support as we continue the mission started by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner as part of his historic $1 billion gift to advance global peace, security and health.”

ST. LOUIS – FleishmanHillard has named Scott Radcliffe as the agency’s global director of cybersecurity. In this new position he will be responsible for overseeing the agency’s global Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, which brings together communications expertise from across the firm to advise clients who are facing ever-increasing cyber risk. FleishmanHillard’s Cybersecurity Center of Excellence sits at the intersection where crisis and preparedness, policy and issues, and product and innovation come together. The role will report to Tim O’Keeffe, FleishmanHillard’s global managing director of Technology.

“FleishmanHillard partners with global businesses to help them understand and navigate the role cybersecurity plays in this accelerated wave of digital transformation,” said O’Keeffe. “Right now, company leaders are under immense pressure to fully understand the new dynamics of U.S. disclosure policies when preparing for a potential cyber incident. Today, it’s more than just being prepared for a data breach, business leaders must now navigate changing policy and governance issues to remain compliant. FleishmanHillard, with Scott’s leadership, is uniquely positioned to help company leaders navigate through these changing dynamics.”

Radcliffe returns to FleishmanHillard from Apple, where he led cybersecurity communications. He previously served as the agency’s senior global data privacy and security expert from 2016 to 2020. He began his career in the U.S. Army after graduating from West Point, where he was first exposed to cybersecurity while working under the Multi-National Corps-Iraq Commanding General.

“Personal and corporate data have become some of the most valuable resources any organization has, and the threat to that resource is only growing as its value to bad actors continues to rise,” said Radcliffe. “It’s critical for every business to be as prepared as possible for a cyberattack and to understand how to navigate through that moment should an incident occur. In addition to making sure that business leaders thoroughly understand the increasing number of policies and regulations, it’s critical for businesses to better educate their customers and employees about how they can more securely interact with an organization’s network and protect their data. I’m thrilled to be back at FleishmanHillard and bringing our firm’s expertise forward to help company leaders that have cybersecurity at the top of their business agenda.”

Radcliffe has worked across sectors with experience in technology, healthcare, energy, manufacturing, food and agriculture, government, gaming and financial services. In addition to cybersecurity, he has expertise in corporate crisis and reputation, executive communications, employee and internal communications and product and innovation storytelling.