PRovoke Media 15 Jan 2025 // 1:02PM GMT

Which marketing and communications executives are likely to have a particularly pivotal year ahead? Here, PRovoke Media's editors – Camillia Dass, Diana Marszalek, Maja Pawinska Sims and Paul Holmes – reveal their People to Watch list for 2025, in alphabetical order.
How did last year's People to Watch fare? Check out the 2024 list here — a couple of those featured have since moved on to new roles, including PRCA CEO James Hewes, whose replacement appears here, and former Boeing CCO Brian Besanceney, who has been succeeded by Ann Schmidt (the troubled aerospace firm’s eighth CCO in eight years.)

President & CEO, FleishmanHillard
After nearly two decades at FleishmanHillard — including eight years as global chief operating officer and Americas president — J.J. Carter ascended to the agency’s top job in October, succeeding John Saunders as president and CEO. Carter took the helm at a pivotal moment for the OPRG firm. While FH has enjoyed steady growth in recent years, he is tasked with advancing the transformation started under Saunders 18 months ago, focused on strengthening the agency’s global capabilities and client offerings. Just two months into the role, Carter unveiled a streamlined leadership team, blending seasoned expertise with fresh perspectives to drive his vision forward. Looking ahead to the coming year? He’s only just begun. — DM

CEO, Team Farner
Melanie Faithfull Kent's appointment as CEO of Team Farner last year took place during a transformative period for the European-based strategic comms firm, as founder Roman Geiser moved to chairman to focus on strategy and mergers and acquisitions. After more than two decades at Hill & Knowlton, latterly as CEO of H&K Europe, the move was as much of a huge decision for Kent as it was for Geiser. She will be pivotal in steering Team Farner through its next expansion phase, building upon recent acquisitions across Europe and the US, including Lansons, which have positioned the agency as a formidable player in the global communications landscape. The challenges ahead involve integrating teams and services across multiple markets, maintaining the agency's entrepreneurial spirit, and seizing the opportunities of a rapidly-evolving communications environment. Kent's vision for an independent, partner-led group will be instrumental in navigating these complexities and ensuring that she and the agency are worth watching this year. — MPS

CEO, Omnicom Public Relations Group
Chris Foster was on this list in 2022, after recently being named to lead the Omnicom Pubic Relations Group, which at the time included top 10 global agencies FleishmanHillard and Ketchum as well as Porter Novelli, MMC and some impressive public affairs brands. It was, arguably, the biggest job in the PR agency business. With the announcement in December that Omnicom is now acquiring Interpublic – parent to the world’s second largest agency Weber Shandwick and constant overachiever Golin– Foster’s job is likely to get even bigger. Many observers expect more consolidation. — PH
Dave Heinzinger

Head of media strategy, X
When it comes to People to Watch in 2025, Dave Heinzinger is our guy. As head of media strategy for X, his every move warrants attention, largely because no one can predict what his year will look like. Owner Elon Musk has made no secret of his disdain for mainstream media and traditional corporate communications – remember, he famously disbanded Twitter’s PR team. That leaves Heinzinger with a uniquely challenging role, navigating a platform that has become increasingly unpredictable, both in its messaging and its direction. Musk’s alignment with Donald Trump and the possibility of X leaning into partisanship only adds to the complexity of Heinzinger’s position. How does one shape media strategy for a platform laden with all of that? Whether Heinzinger can chart a clear path forward remains to be seen. — DM

CEO, The Weber Shandwick Collective
It’s an interesting question: is it harder to take on a struggling firm and be responsible for turning it around, or to take on an agency that seems to be at the top of its game and make sure it doesn’t start to slip? The latter challenge is the one facing Susan Howe, who took over as CEO of Weber Shandwick this year after a closely-watched leadership contest. Filling the shoes of her predecessor Gail Heimann will be no easy task. It's a massive job at a challenging time, not least because of the Omnicom merger, but Howe’s two decades with Weber Shandwick have given her a thorough understanding of the firm’s operations, and her infectious enthusiasm should help keep the culture healthy. — PH

Press secretary, The White House
There’s a long history of White House spokespeople making the move from Pennsylvania Avenue into the corporate world. Reagan’s Larry Speakes joined Merrill Lynch; Clinton’s Dee Dee Myers led comms for Warner Bros; Obama’s Robert Gibbs went to McDonalds; and his successor Jay Carney led corporate affairs for Amazon. Karine Jean-Pierre performed admirably in her role as Joe Biden’s press secretary, in circumstances arguably more challenging than any of her predecessors, but it’s far from clear that she will be able to make the same smooth transition to corporate America, given the hyper-partisan nature of the current environment, the openly vindictive approach of the incoming administration, and the eagerness of business leaders to curry favor with the right. Perhaps she might follow Jen Psaki into the media realm, although even that path is no longer as open as it once was. — PH

Chief global affairs officer, Meta
Joel Kaplan's appointment as the corporate affairs chief at Meta – succeeding Nick Clegg, who steps down this year – positions him at the heart of one of the most scrutinized companies in the world. With Meta's all-pervading platforms and ongoing controversies around privacy, misinformation and regulatory scrutiny, Kaplan's role will be crucial in helping Meta navigate its next phase of corporate responsibility and public engagement. Kaplan, who has a background in politics and corporate governance, faces the formidable challenge of reshaping Meta’s public image while ensuring the company’s strategies align with evolving societal expectations, against the backdrop of a second Trump presidency. His efforts will likely focus on enhancing transparency, engaging with stakeholders more effectively, and driving policies that can restore public trust. It’s a huge task, but Kaplan has the nous and the experience to steer Meta in the right direction. — MPS

Senior advisor, MENA, Stagwell
Sunil John's new role as the Middle East leader at marketing group Stagwell is a testament to his profound impact on the region's communications landscape. As the founder of Asda’A BCW, John built one of the most respected PR consultancies in the region, known for its strategic insight and impactful campaigns, and has been instrumental in shaping the narrative of the Middle East. His deep understanding of the cultural and political nuances in the region gives him a unique edge in leading Stagwell’s expansion in these markets. John's new role will involve steering the group through a complex media environment, where digital transformation and geopolitical challenges continue to shape the comms industry. The task ahead is not just to capitalize on emerging markets but also to ensure that Stagwell's offerings resonate with local audiences. Balancing innovation with tradition, and fostering trust in a region with intricate socio-political dynamics, will be critical. — MPS

Rakesh Thukral
APAC CEO, EdelmanIn 2024, Edelman named longtime Asia Pacific executive Rakesh Thukral as its new regional CEO, succeeding Warren Fernandez, who held the role for just over two years after joining in 2022. Thukral brings a wealth of experience to the role, having served as Edelman's APAC chief operating officer and managing director of India. He joined the agency in 2010 as its director of public affairs and quickly climbed the ranks over the course of his 14 years at the agency. In 2025, Thukral faces his biggest challenge yet, considering Fernandez’s achievements in the role. Under Fernandez's leadership, Edelman in Asia Pacific grew significantly as a regional leader making a comeback after two consecutive years of slow growth. In fact, PRovoke Media named Edelman India and Leo Burnett’s campaign for Pepsico’s Lay’s brand, “Empowering Women, Empowering Agriculture: Lay's Farm Equal,” the best public relations program in the world at the 2024 Global SABRE Awards ceremony in Washington. Thukral said last year that he is committed to continuing the momentum Edelman has built across the region. — CD

CEO, PRCA
The board of the Public Relations & Communications Association (PRCA) must have thought they could finally exhale this time last year when CEO James Hewes started in the role, after a turbulent 2023 during which the world’s largest PR industry member body went through a governance review, a board restructure, an overhaul of policies and processes, disquiet from members and staff, and the untimely passing of director general Francis Ingham. But it was not to be: Hewes lasted less than a year in the role before resigning, and the PRCA again found itself rudderless. Step in Sarah Waddington CBE, a formidable, driven, passionate leader, who has a genuine love of and deep knowledge of the PR industry and the association (she’s been a member of the board for the past year). She’s got a big job to do in her six months as interim CEO; it would surprise few if that tenure turns into a more long-term endeavour, and Waddington finally gives the PRCA forward momentum again. — MPS