Sharon Murphy has been appointed as chief executive of the Ogilvy & Mather-owned Wilson Hartnell.
She will succeed Brian Bell who is stepping down after more than a decade in the role although he continue to be involved with the Ogilvy Group taking on a new role as non-executive chairman of Ogilvy & Mather Group.
A native of Mallow, County Cork, Sharon Murphy joined Wilson Hartnell in 2000 and assumed the leadership of the agency’s consumer practice in 2008. She was appointed deputy CEO of the company in September 2016 and is a former Chairman of the Public Relations Consultants Association.
She is also a former board member of the International Communications Consultants Organisation (2015 – 2017) and was named in PR Week’s ‘Top PR Professionals in the World’ in its Global Power Book 2016.
According to Roddy Guiney, chairman of Wilson Hartnell: “Over the past ten years, Sharon has led our consumer team in delivering many award-winning campaigns, whilst also playing a major role in the overall development of the company to where it is now the leading PR company in Ireland. What is particularly gratifying for me is that Sharon has worked her way through all levels in the company before assuming the top position. I look forward to an exciting future ahead for WH.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Brian Bell for his great contribution to Wilson Hartnell, particularly over the past decade, which has seen the company go from strength to strength. We wish him well in his new role and look forward to working with him in that role.”
Sharon Murphy adds: “I’ve been privileged to be part of an incredibly talented and driven team and an agency that has partnered with amazing companies and brands, which are renowned for breaking new ground. The world of communications is evolving at an incredible pace, which has seen PR’s core competencies more fully realised with agile business models focused on outcomes rather than output and relevancy at the core of our offering. Wilson Hartnell has embraced the opportunities that come with change and I look forward to leading our future development.”
Ogilvy & Mather Group Chief Executive, JP Donnelly said: “We are delighted to have someone of Sharon’s calibre step into the helm of Ireland’s leading Communications Consultancy. Sharon has not only been an outstanding leader in WH, but is also one of the top performers in the Ogilvy network. It is great to see her now join the top tier of our leadership team in Ireland.
Wilson Hartnell is part of Ogilvy & Mather Group Limited, which also includes Ogilvy & Mather Advertising and EightyTwenty.
