IPG's DeVries Taps Rival Fleishman's Heidi Hovland As CEO

Heidi Hovland

Interpublic’s PR shop DeVries Global has appointed Heidi Hovland as its new global CEO, the agency confirmed Monday. She effectively replaces Stephanie Smirnov, who left her role as U.S. CEO at DeVries to join Edelman last year.

previously served as deputy general manager of FleishmanHillard New York, part of Omnicom’s Diversified Agency Services division. At Fleishman, where she spent 18 years, Hovland led the agency’s Consumer Products Sector globally and co-founded its “Marketing to Moms” practice group. She will be based out of DeVries Global’s New York headquarters.

"Over the past five years our agency has experienced enormous change — moving from a single midsize Madison Avenue office to now enjoying full service agencies/representation on four continents and one subcontinent,” said Jim Allman, DeVries global chairman. “And keeping with tradition: all six DeVries Global offices are led by outstanding female PR pros/executives. Heidi will take this new DeVries reality and continue to shape, grow and evolve it.”

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DeVries now has offices in the U.S, U.K., China, Singapore, and India and positions itself as a leading authority on marketing to women. 

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