FleishmanHillard

Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Czechia

FleishmanHillard has always been Omnicom’s most modest agency brand—less creative sizzle, more strategic substance—largely because of the nature of so much of its work, including high-level corporate, crisis and reputation management assignments, but it has long held trusted partner status for an extensive roster of clients across EMEA. 

Europe is a mix of Fleishman’s branded offices in Brussels, Germany, Ireland,  Poland and the Czech Republic and supplemented by access to Omnicom PR Group operations in France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain. While the European operations as a whole were impacted by economic and political conditions across the continent, the Brussels office turned in strong double-digit growth, with clients turning to the firm for advice on issues ranging from AI to ESG to trade and tariffs. Client caution notwithstanding, the firm held on to all but one of its top 20 clients (a group that includes Allianz, BCG, Cefic, Dulux, Johnson&Johnson, Momentum Group, Mondelez, Philips, Plastics Europe, Samsung and ThyssenKrupp). It also picked up more than $12 million in new business, including assignments from ABSL, Avant Money, Cabot, the European Branded Clothing Association, the International Fresh Produce Association, Roche, and Statkraft.

The firm now derives almost a third from the financial and professional services, where it is one of the leaders; with a little more than 20% coming from health and life sciences and a little less than 20% from manufacturing and energy. Thought leadership activities have focused on public policy issues, including monthly roundtables in Brussels with MEPs and the firm’s EU Unpacked podcast series, but in the German market there has been a Cyber Crisis Day and a Corporate Citizenship Study, while in Prague the firm has been addressing Digital Footprint Management.

Veteran leader Olivier Beheydt serves as COO and chef de cabinet of the EMEA management team, while Donald Ricketts and David Turier serve as chair and general manager respectively of the 130-strong Brussels operation, and Hanning Kempe leads the three offices in Germany. New additions in 2024 included head of talent development Daniel Kusch in Germany and new creative director Dillon McKenna in Dublin. Not surprisingly, last year also saw significant investment in artificial intelligence both in the firm’s client-work and internal priorities. Building on the firm’s existing data capabilities, more than 200 individuals were trained in eight modules last year. Other employee initiatives included a global mentoring programme, a robust commitment to professional development, with an emphasis on the 'Led by Strengths' approach; and the EMEA Connect programme.—PH