Meet the Trio Remaking Weber Shandwick

Forget the hypotheticals. For the new(ish) leadership at IPG-owned Weber Shandwick Collective, building the ‘agency of the future’ isn’t a talking point, it's the strategic mandate.

A new trio is at the helm, tasked with turning that vision into a market reality. This week, the network emerges as the earned media winner from the Mars review, spanning more than 70 markets, tasked with bringing culture and conversation even closer to the portfolio of iconic brands at Mars.

Becoming The Agency Of The Future

"The 'agency of the future' mission began with a simple premise. We knew we needed to evolve - to move faster for clients, while still offering real depth and specialism,” explains global CEO Susan Howe. It was clear that building the agency of the future required anchoring it in a "culture of restlessness and collaboration."

That evolution led to the assembly of a new team: Howe, alongside global presidents Karen Pugliese and Jim O’Leary. North American CEO O'Leary and chief growth officer Pugliese were promoted to global president roles last December. In the newly created role, O'Leary now oversees all major global markets, including North America, EMEA, APAC, and LATAM. He also retains the North America CEO role he has had since joining Weber Shandwick in January 2023 after 15 years with Edelman, where he served most recently as US COO.

Pugliese, also in a newly created role, oversees the network’s strategy and innovation and leads the global growth function. Pugliese is a 15-year Weber Shandwick veteran. “In many ways, Karen and Jim embody the culture of restlessness and collaboration. With so much change in the world, we knew we had to evolve - find a way to move faster for clients, while still delivering deep expertise. That’s exactly why we built this leadership team,” adds Howe. Pugliese, a “die-hard agency person,” brings an entrepreneurial fire.

“Right now, small shops seem to be having a moment,” she says. “What sets us apart is that we’ve always had that 'indie' mindset: we’re built for agility and adaptability, quickly adopting and applying new technologies like AI, while staying closer than ever to our clients.”

O’Leary, who joined two years ago after a long tenure at Edelman, adds a global perspective, spending his time plugged into every region from Asia to Europe and Latin America.

Building The vision

Their collective vision is already taking tangible form. The launch of three new services—Weber Advisory, Weber Create, and Weber I/O—wasn’t a reaction to client demand, but an anticipation of it. Weber Advisory was launched earlier this year as a global integrated unit designed to provide modern and agile counsel to the C-Suite and advise senior business leaders on public affairs, business transformation, mergers and acquisitions, corporate reputation, issues and crisis. Weber I/O integrates analytics, data science, data engineering, performance media, experiential technology and AI advisory to address the change and complexity faced by communications and marketing clients. Weber Create is an end-to-end earned creative offering, focusing on influencer, content creation, emerging media, and new media strategies.

“Clients today are seeking counsel from a broader set of experts, and we anticipated that,” says Howe. The modern corporate advisory arm, in particular, was built for a world in turmoil. “Do you know the CEO ‘topple rate’?” O’Leary asks. “It’s the highest it’s ever been... These leaders are still doing everything they always had to - but now, on top of that, they're dealing with Trump, global instability, backlash on DEI or ESG initiatives. The landscape is just incredibly volatile, and our clients are increasingly asking for help to navigate this complexity at the intersection of business and culture.”

The strategy is resonating. Clients are no longer just buying communications; they are seeking reinvention. “We’re now getting RFPs and RFIs where they say, ‘We want a modern version of a comms partner - show us what the agency of the future looks like,’” Pugliese reveals. It’s a validation that has translated into major wins with clients like Samsung and Primark.

Despite their distinct roles and geographies, the chemistry between the three is palpable. O’Leary, who moved from Edelman - a family-owned firm - to a holding company, found the opposite of what he expected. “Weber - part of IPG - feels like a family,” he shares. “It’s human, connected. These two embraced me right away.”

Howe agrees: “We clicked... it was like adding the perfect spark to something already great.”

That spark is now fuelling the agency’s next chapter. As they look ahead, each leader talks about the facets of the future that they’re fired up about. Pugliese is excited by the power of Weber I/O to integrate data and technology. Howe is focused on redefining earned creative for a fractured media landscape, pointing to the agency’s three Young Lions finalist teams as proof of future-facing talent. For O’Leary, the inspiration for where the future of the business lies is at the intersection of business and culture. “Some people are concerned about the convergence of business, brands and politics,” he says. “But we see opportunity there.”

It’s this shared mindset-seeing opportunity in volatility and building for tomorrow’s needs-that defines Weber Shandwick’s new era. As Pugliese puts it, “The beauty of this troika is that we’re three very different people with very different competencies, leadership styles and experience. We each bring a different way of looking at problems and opportunities which fuels better decision-making, problem-solving, and overall growth.”

Creative Salon: How would you define the 'agency of the future' in one sentence?

Susan Howe: The agency of the future is always reinventing.

Karen Pugliese: It’s curious and courageous.

Jim O’Leary: Weber Shandwick.

What are you most proud of accomplishing in the last six months as this leadership trio?

Susan Howe: Standing up this team is something I’m incredibly proud of. Getting the right people into the right roles was step one. Then yes -Weber Advisory, Weber Create, Weber I/O—those launches are big wins. We’ve also brought in amazing new business: expanding with Samsung, and other new logo clients including Primark on the corporate side and Greggs’ social media business. These reflect that the new model we’re putting out there is resonating.

Jim O’Leary: Building real traction with Weber Advisory. We anticipated a need, built it early, and now CEO’s turn to us when they want to bridge business strategy with cultural fluency.

How would you describe each other as leaders and how does that create a strong dynamic?

Jim O’Leary: For Susan, it’s a relentless yet positive bias toward action. The high-energy, sparky version of relentless. For Karen, it’s being meticulously thoughtful and anticipatory. The goals are always clear and intentional.

Susan Howe: And for Jim, it’s seeing opportunity and mobilising around it. Always driving toward, “Where should we go next?” - and inspiring others to follow.

Karen Pugliese: This team works because we couldn’t be more different—and I mean that as the highest compliment. We bring very different strengths to the table, and yet there’s a deep level of respect and admiration for what each of us does.

How excited are you about Cannes Lions?

Susan Howe: We’re continuing to redefine what earned creative looks like—and there’s a real appetite for that. The media landscape has changed completely, and clients want work that doesn’t just exist, but provokes a reaction. That’s where our creative teams are thriving. We’ve got three Young Lions finalist teams—from France, the UK, and the US—and to me, that’s the agency of the future. Not just because of the work we’re doing now, but because in 10 years, you’ll be sitting here with them.

What excites you most over the next 6–8 months?
Karen Pugliese: Weber I/O. It’s going to supercharge everything else we do.


Susan Howe: Creative work that provokes reaction—and seeing our next-gen talent thrive.


Jim O’Leary: Our Advisory AI platform - a first in the industry - is going to be a game changer as we help our clients transform for an agentic future.