Wilson Hartnell PR appoints Sharon Murphy as chief executive

Public relations company Wilson Hartnell has appointed Sharon Murphy as chief executive, succeeding Brian Bell.

Mr Bell will take up the new role of non-executive chairman of Ogilvy & Mather Group, to which Wilson Hartnell belongs, and will continue to be involved with clients.

From Mallow, Co Cork, Ms Murphy joined the agency in 2000 and has led its consumer practice since 2008. She was appointed deputy chief executive in 2016 and is a former chair of the Public Relations Consultants Association. She will take up her new role in April.

Ms Murphy said the world of communications was “evolving at an incredible pace”, which had seen public relations agencies develop “agile business models” that embraced opportunities. “I look forward to leading our future development,” she said.

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The advertising and public relations group Ogilvy & Mather saw its net profit climb 34 per cent to €1.9 million at its Irish operations in 2016, according to accounts recently filed to the Companies Office. The group is led by chief executive JP Donnelly.

It recorded revenues of €19.2 million in the year, up 5 per cent on 2015. The group employed 103 people in 2016, up from 97 the previous year.

Ogilvy & Mather is a subsidiary of the FTSE 100-listed advertising giant WPP, the largest advertising company in the world, which is led by its British chief executive Martin Sorrell.