Key Points
- Golin Ketchum has announced the new leadership structure for its London operation following the merger of Golin and Ketchum under Omnicom
- Ondine Whittington, previously president of Golin and Virgo Health London, has been appointed to lead the combined Golin Ketchum operation in the UK
- Matt Neale, former Golin chief executive, serves as CEO of Golin Ketchum globally, while Tamara Norman from Ketchum assumes the role of Global President
- The agency is relaunching The Brooklyn Brothers creative agency in London as part of its new structure
- Omnicom confirmed that affiliated agencies including Brooklyn Brothers will continue operating under their existing brands
- The merger was announced in February 2026 and the combined organisation will have more than 2,000 employees globally
- The new firm will rank among the top 10 PR firms worldwide
- Ruth Allchurch was previously appointed as Ketchum’s UK CEO starting in April 2024, before Whittington’s appointment to lead the combined operation
- Bibi Hilton, former Golin London Managing Director, joined Ketchum as Chief Client Officer for Global Markets in September 2024
- The Brooklyn Brothers was originally acquired by Golin in February 2016, bringing 130 staff and a Hollywood writing room into the Golin family
- George Bryant, founding partner and chief creative officer of The Brooklyn Brothers, was elevated to group chief creative officer in 2022, overseeing global creative operations for all Golin Group agency brands
- The combined organisation will be led by an integrated executive leadership team effective immediately, working closely with regional leaders across Americas, EMEA, and APAC
- Hortensia Nastase will head continental Europe, overseeing an expanded footprint including Ketchum’s German and Austrian operations
Who is leading Golin Ketchum’s UK operation after the merger?
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Golin Ketchum has revealed the new leadership structure of its London operation, and relaunched creative agency Brooklyn Brothers in the UK, marking a significant milestone in the Omnicom Group’s restructuring of its PR agencies. Ondine Whittington, president of Golin and Virgo Health London, has been appointed to lead the combined Golin and Ketchum operation in the United Kingdom, replacing the previously announced UK CEO Ruth Allchurch.
The announcement, reported on 11 June 2026 by PR Week UK, confirms that the merged agency is moving forward with its integrated leadership model as part of Omnicom’s broader restructure of its PR portfolio. The combined operation will be led globally by former Golin chief executive Matt Neale, who assumes the CEO role for Golin Ketchum, while Ketchum’s Tamara Norman takes on the position of president.
What changes are coming to The Brooklyn Brothers in London?
As part of Golin Ketchum’s new structure, PRWeek can reveal that it is relaunching The Brooklyn Brothers in London. The creative agency, which was originally acquired by Golin in February 2016, will continue operating under its existing brand name as Omnicom confirmed that affiliated agencies including Brooklyn Brothers will maintain their identity.
The Brooklyn Brothers acquisition brought 130 staff and a Hollywood writing room into the Golin family, dramatically increasing the scope of the agency’s New York and London operations. George Bryant, founding partner and chief creative officer of The Brooklyn Brothers, was elevated to group chief creative officer in March 2022, overseeing global creative operations for all Golin Group agency brands including Golin, The Brooklyn Brothers, Virgo Health and DeVries Global.
Bryant’s appointment is effective immediately, reporting to Golin CEO Matt Neale, and he will be responsible for overseeing 100 staffers while continuing to manage creative for The Brooklyn Brothers London. Neale stated that The Brooklyn Brothers is positioned around earned-first advertising and earning attention, which aligns with the PR industry’s core principles.
Why did Omnicom merge Golin and Ketchum into one agency?
Omnicom restructures its PR agencies, merging Ketchum with Golin and integrating Porter Novelli into FleishmanHillard for enhanced service across various sectors, as confirmed to Telum Media. The international communications holding company Omnicom is bundling its PR portfolio further, bringing the two globally active agency networks Golin and Ketchum together into a common international organisation under the name Golin Ketchum.
The goal is to reduce overlaps and create a more efficient service structure. An internal communication shared by Omnicom revealed that the newly formed entity will be headed by Matt Neale, the current CEO of Golin, while Tamara Norman from Ketchum will assume the role of global president. The implementation of these changes will occur in stages through 2026.
The merged operation will have more than 2,000 employees around the world and will rank among the top 10 PR firms globally. Golin’s Ellen Ryan Mardiks serves as chairman of the new firm. The new Golin Ketchum name will “preserve the equity in both these names,” according to CEO Matt Neale.
How does the new leadership structure work across regions?
The combined organisation will be led by an integrated executive leadership team, effective immediately, and will work closely with regional leaders across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. Ondine Whittington will lead the UK business specifically, while Hortensia Nastase will head continental Europe, overseeing an expanded footprint that now includes Ketchum’s German and Austrian operations.
Jamey Peters becomes president of operations and managing director for the southern US region. This regional leadership structure ensures that the integrated team maintains close coordination with local market expertise while operating under the unified Golin Ketchum brand.
What happened to previous UK leadership appointments?
Ruth Allchurch, formerly WE Communications’ regional managing director of EMEA, was announced in January 2024 to join Ketchum as chief executive of its UK operations, starting in April. However, Ondine Whittington’s appointment to lead the combined Golin and Ketchum operation superseded this earlier announcement, as confirmed by PR Week on 19 March 2026.
Bibi Hilton, chief executive of Creative Access and the former managing director of Golin London, joined Ketchum as chief client officer for global markets in September 2024. In her new chief client officer for global markets role, Hilton will be responsible for markets outside the US covering Ketchum’s six core global markets and over 80 affiliates.
Hilton will report to Jo-ann Robertson, CEO of global markets at Ketchum. Her arrival coincided with the upcoming appointment of Ruth Allchurch as Ketchum’s UK CEO in April, following the recent departure of Ketchum’s UK Chief Client Officer, Alicia Solanki, to Team Lewis. This new role marks the first of two Chief Client Officer positions for Ketchum, with Robertson planning to appoint a US counterpart soon.
Who else is involved in Golin Ketchum’s executive leadership?
The combined operation’s executive leadership includes Matt Neale as CEO and Tamara Norman as Global President, with Golin’s Ellen Ryan Mardiks serving as chairman. The integrated team ensures that both legacy companies’ strengths are maintained while creating a more competitive global PR organisation.
As reported by Jamey Peters of PR Week, the merged agency represents one of the most significant consolidations in the PR industry in recent years, bringing together two established agency names under one operating model.
When will the full integration of Golin Ketchum be complete?
The implementation of these changes will occur in stages through 2026, with the combined organisation’s integrated executive leadership team becoming effective immediately upon the announcement. Omnicom completed the Golin-Ketchum integration and launched the unified global PR agency on 11 June 2026, marking the official completion of the merger process.
TheBrooklyn Brothers relaunch in London represents one of the final elements of the integration, demonstrating that affiliated agencies will continue operating under their existing brands while contributing to the broader Golin Ketchum ecosystem.
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