Public Relations Global Network (PRGN) has appointed Sara Pearson, Founder and Chairman of integrated communications agency Spider in London, UK, as its new Regional Vice President for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). At the RVP position Sara replaces Uwe Schmidt, Co-owner and Partner of Industrie-Contact AG in Hamburg, Germany, who held the post since it was created in May 2019.
As RVP for the EMEA region, Sara supports PRGN’s member agencies in the region covering Europe, Middle East and Africa and plays an active role in business development and new member selection.
Founded in 1992 by a group of visionary public relations leaders, with approximately 1,000 professionals in 52 locations on six continents, PRGN is one of the world’s largest international public relations networks. Its EMEA group brings together 22 independent and owner managed agencies which offer boots-on-the-ground savvy of a local public relations agency connected across multiple markets and geographies.
“While I welcome Sara in the EMEA RVP position with great expectations, my heartfelt appreciation goes out to Uwe who took the position about two years ago when PRGN decided to create regional vice president roles to enhance its development and the competitiveness of the overall network of 50 agencies,” said Robert Bauer, President of PRGN and managing partner of accelent communications in Vienna, Austria.
“Immediately after Brexit and in the middle of a global pandemic hitting markets worldwide, I’m coming to the position with an ambition to bring our EMEA agencies together in seeking new business opportunities, engaging in more and deeper exchange of professional knowledge and further expanding our geographical reach,” said RVP Sara Pearson.
Sara began her career as a journalist at the Sunday Telegraph, a British national newspaper, before moving into PR. Being a journalist taught her the importance of quality writing and also what it was like to be on the receiving end of PR stories. She built her business on the unique proposition of guaranteeing her media results. Spider is now a multi-million pound agency employing 40 people with an equal emphasis on digital and social media expertise. She says: “I have always been passionate about accountability which is the guaranteed outcome of strong strategic thinking and brave creativity, and is the heartbeat of what we do at Spider.”
PRGN member agencies are independent, local, owner-operated public relations and marketing communications firms that share expertise and resources, while providing broad-based comprehensive communications strategies to clients worldwide.