PRGN Adds Offices in Finland and New York, Elects Aaron Blank as President

Group elects new president and adds two new member agencies from Helsinki (Finland) and New York (USA) during bi-annual meeting; Succession and acquisition strategies, digital solutions and services, growth in the Asia-Pacific region and reaching and involving generation Z among larger opportunities discussed by global PR professionals, PRGN.

Amersfoort, Netherlands (May 23, 2019) – The Public Relations Global Network (PRGN) announced today the slate of new officers for one of the top five largest networks of independent PR and communications agencies. The appointments were announced during PRGN’s recent bi-annual meeting in Amersfoort, the Netherlands. The three-day event, where the group’s leadership teams discuss best practices and find new ways to collaborate and develop business partnerships globally, included sessions and presentations on succession and acquisition strategies, agency performance, growth in the Asia-Pacific region, digital solutions and services and reaching and involving Generation Z.

At the Amersfoort meeting, attended by members from 31 countries, PRGN members elected Aaron Blank, CEO and president of Seattle-based The Fearey Group as its 27^th president to lead the worldwide network of 50 independently owned firms for the next 12 months. C.L. Conroy, president and CEO of The Conroy Martinez Group, assumes the role of immediate past president and chair of the Advisory Board. Other officers named include: President-elect Robert Bauer, managing partner of accelent communications (formerly asoluto communications), a leading PR agency in Vienna, Austria, Amanda Hill, principal and CEO of Dallas-based Three Box Strategic Communications who will serve as Treasurer and Andy See Teong Leng, principal partner and managing director of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-based Perspective Strategies who will serve as Secretary.

Aaron Blank, president/CEO of Seattle-based The Fearey Group, president of PRGN. Right

“With 50 offices on six continents, PRGN is as strong as ever,” said Blank. “The back-half of 2019 is going to be profound for PR business throughout the globe. I am truly excited that we can offer communications services to clients in practically every corner of the world.”

PRGN ADDS TWO MEMBERS IN EUROPE AND U.S.

At its spring meeting, the global agency network also selected two new agency members and now is comprised of 50 independent, owner operated communications and public relations firms.

New York-based Southard Communications was selected to represent the group. Established 25 years ago, Southard Communications identifies itself as a strategic marketing and communications partner focused on helping clients build business in a cost-effective and meaningful manner. Southard Communications was founded by Bill Southard, a communications professional with more than 35 years of experience, who has counseled some of the U.S.’s leading Fortune 500 firms.

Left to right: C.L. Conroy, president & CEO of The Conroy Martinez Group; Päivi Holmquist, managing director of hasan communications; Bill Southard, founder, chief executive officer of Southard Communications and David Wills, senior vice president of Media Profile.

Also joining the members of PRGN agencies is hasan communications, a communications and public relations agency based in Helsinki, Finland. Led by Managing Director Päivi Holmquist, the agency helps organizations to grow their visibility and brand awareness supporting them with innovative thinking, carefully targeted communications, engaging storytelling and effective marketing.

Founded in 1990 by a group of visionary public relations leaders, PRGN is one of the world’s largest international networks of independent public relations and communications agencies with more than $85 million in revenues and approximately 1,000 professionals throughout the globe.

PRGN partners meet twice a year to share knowledge and develop global business. The next meeting will be held in Puerto Varas, Chile from Oct. 24-26, 2019. Agency members are independent, local, owner-operated public relations, digital marketing and communications firms that share expertise and resources, while providing broad-based comprehensive communications strategies to clients worldwide. Companies or organizations interested in the services of PRGN’s local agency network can visit www.prgn.com or contact PRGN’s executive director Gábor Jelinek at gabor.jelinek@prgn.com for more information.

Members of the Public Relations Global Network (PRGN) recently convened in Amersfoort, Netherlands

Independent agencies interested in joining the network can visit the member recruitment section of the PRGN website for more information or email its membership chair, David Wills, senior vice president, Media Profile at david.wills@mediaprofile.com.

About Public Relations Global Network (PRGN)

Clients across six continents depend on the combined resources of the Public Relations Global Network (PRGN) to deliver targeted public relations and marketing campaigns in regions around the world. With revenues of more than $85 million (US), PRGN is one of the world’s largest international public relations networks. PRGN harnesses the resources of 50 independent public relations firms and approximately 1,000 communications professionals to connect international companies and organizations with individual and culturally diverse markets globally. Visit PRGN online at https://www.prgn.com/, on twitter at @PRGN and on Instagram at @publicrelationsglobalnetwork.

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Leeza Hoyt

Founder and President at The Hoyt Organization

With over 25 years of experience, Leeza’s campaigns have garnered over 150 awards from top public relations organizations nationwide. Additionally, THO serves as the Los Angeles area partner of the Public Relations Global Network, granting clients access to over 50 global markets. The agency was also named to one of the top 200 firms in the country by Forbes magazine in 2021, and she has been named by Globest.com as a Woman of Influence and a Woman to Watch, among other designations.