Jack Leslie is retiring after a 45-year career in communications and public affairs, which included 38 years with Sawyer Miller and successor firm Weber Shandwick.

Leslie has held the role of Weber Shandwick chairman since 2001, when Bozell Sawyer Miller Group (BSMG) merged with the former agency to create one of the world's biggest PR consultancies. He will stay in his current role until March 2022 and has agreed to continue as a senior advisor, counseling the agency and its clients on corporate reputation, social impact and public policy. 

“I am so grateful to have spent my career at the intersection of communications, politics and business, and to have worked with visionaries who’ve made such a difference in the world.  I’ve also witnessed a transformation of our business; analog became digital, and an era of broadcasting became an era of engagement," said Leslie.

"We stayed ahead of the curve, and I’m proud we emerged as a leader in our industry. During all this time, I’ve also been so fortunate to have partners willing to help me pursue my interests in development and humanitarian causes. In the last year, I’ve been particularly active in advocacy around migration and public health. I’m looking forward to giving more time and attention to these passions."

After serving as a political director for the late Senator Edward Kennedy, Leslie was named president of pioneering political consulting firm Sawyer Miller in 1983, where he advised dozens of presidential and statewide campaigns in the United States, Latin America, Asia and Africa. He was a close advisor to President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia during both his presidential campaigns and the long peace process in the country. In 2016, Leslie received the highest honor given a non-citizen in Colombia, the Order of San Carlos, for his work on Plan Colombia and during the peace negotiations.

Leslie’s work at the helm of Sawyer Miller saw the firm grow into a leading corporate consulting, advocacy and public affairs firm over the next two decades. He was a key member of the leadership team as Weber Shandwick developed into the PR industry's second-biggest firm, recognised as PRovoke Media’s Global and North American Agency of the Decade in 2020.

"The story of Weber Shandwick’s journey to becoming the powerhouse it is today could not be written without Jack Leslie," said IPG Dxtra chairman and CEO Andy Polansky, who has worked alongside Leslie since the BSMG era.  "Jack’s incredible foresight and fortitude to stay ahead of the market and to anticipate client needs pushed our firm time and time again in the right direction. We’re grateful for his counsel, his dedication to the agency, his invaluable contributions to driving positive change and personally, for his friendship."

In addition to his professional roles, Leslie is an activist for international development, humanitarian assistance and global health. He chaired USA for UNHCR (The UN Refugee Agency) during the 1990s and was appointed to the board of United States African Development Foundation (USADF) in 2003 by President George W. Bush. He was subsequently appointed chairman of the board of USADF by President Barack Obama and has since led missions to 25 African countries. In 2021, USADF announced an annual grant program in Leslie’s honor for his 20 years of service.

Additionally, Leslie served as chairman of USAID’s Advisory Committee for Voluntary Foreign Assistance (ACVFA) during the Obama administration. He is deeply involved in global health, formerly serving as chair of the Advisory Committee of the Duke Global Health Institute and currently as chair of the board of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF). Leslie is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, on the board of directors of Water.org, the Partnership for Central America (PCA) and formerly chair of the board of the Ron Brown Scholars Program.

“Jack’s imprint on the evolution of Weber Shandwick is hard to miss,” said Weber Shandwick CEO Gail Heimann. “Under his leadership and influence over many decades, we have formed an organization that not only solves complex challenges for a diverse mix of clients, but one that delivers with purpose – and a passion for doing well by doing good. And lucky for us, Jack will continue to bring that passion and purpose in his advisory role.”