FleishmanHillard’s global head of practices and sectors Mark Mortell exits after 23 years amid leadership change across Omnicom’s communications business
FleishmanHillard’s global head of practices and sectors, Mark Mortell, has departed the agency, bringing to a close a 23 year run that took him from the network’s Dublin operation to one of its most senior global roles. Trade publication reporting said Mortell has stepped down from the Omnicom owned firm, where he had been responsible for sharpening the agency’s sector specialisms and coordinating practice leadership across markets at a time when the group has been reshaping senior management and priorities.
Mortell’s exit lands as Omnicom continues to reorganise parts of its communications business, with analysts and industry watchers tracking how the holding company is streamlining structures and managing costs into 2026. Industry coverage has linked the wider restructuring discussion to job changes across the group, giving Mortell’s retirement extra resonance inside a sector where leadership churn can quickly prompt questions about client accounts and internal succession.
While FleishmanHillard has not published a fresh leadership announcement alongside Mortell’s departure, company materials show how central the post had become. In late 2024, FleishmanHillard set out a wave of global leadership appointments under chief executive J J Carter, naming Mortell as global head of practices and sectors after he previously served as chief global client leadership officer. The firm said at the time that the role would focus on elevating specialist expertise across industry sectors and capabilities, tying together leaders spanning areas such as health, technology, financial and professional services, manufacturing and energy, and government and public sector work.
Mortell himself has publicly framed the move as a retirement from full time agency life. In a LinkedIn post published as 2026 began, he said he had retired after 23 years at FleishmanHillard and was looking forward to new opportunities. His LinkedIn profile lists Dublin as his base, aligning with reporting that he joined the firm in 2002 and worked out of Ireland while holding global responsibilities. FleishmanHillard’s Irish site also describes his client work across corporate communications, reputation and crisis management, and internal and change communications, with experience spanning multiple sectors and regions.
The departure adds another data point to a leadership timeline that has already been busy for FleishmanHillard. In 2024, it was reported that Carter would succeed John Saunders as chief executive, part of a top level handover designed to steer the agency through a shifting market for corporate reputation, public affairs and marketing services. Recent trade coverage of FleishmanHillard’s performance has highlighted the firm’s client retention and new business wins, and listed Mortell among key global leaders during the period of transition. The agency has not publicly named a successor to Mortell’s specific remit, leaving observers to watch how FleishmanHillard divides the practices and sectors brief as it continues to expand its focus on data, digital, brand impact and corporate affairs offerings across regions....
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