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Aussie PR agency PPR goes global

Richard Lazar at PPR's Sydney office

Richard Lazar at PPR’s Sydney office

PPR, Australia’s largest public relations agency, is expanding overseas.

The Y&R-backed firm led by long-serving MD Richard Lazar, son of founder Peter Lazar, which has six offices around the country and clients including McDonald’s, Asia Pulp & Paper, Dell, ExxonMobil, Microsoft and Chevron, is setting up offices in New York, San Francisco and Washington, DC.

The 40-year old agency, which was originally known as Professional Public Relations, also has plans to open offices in Europe this year, and Latin America in 2014.

Lazar will continue to run PPR’s Asia-Pacific operation as MD and CEO, a job he had done since 1982.

He said in a statement: “This decision to pursue global growth will give our current and future clients the opportunity to access directly PPR services in North America and other regions, knowing they will reap the benefits of a seamless and market-leading service.”

PPR currently has offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and Auckland and around 500 clients.

The agency had offices in Beijing, Singapore, Jakarta and Shanghai, but divested those assets four years ago. Lazar said that Asia Pacific expansion would come after PPR was well established elsewhere.

PPR will sit alongside Y&R’s two other public relations networks, Burson-Marstellar and Cohn & Wolff.

Y&R’s global boss Peter Stringham said: “We see tremendous opportunities for a third agency network, both in pursuing clients conflicted out due to relationships with our existing agencies, and for clients seeking the energy and entrepreneurial spirit of a new, fresh brand that has a reputation for innovation and leadership.

Fred Hawrysh has been named president and CEO of PPR North America, which will open with 40 staff. Hawrysh was previously global head of corporate communications at Accenture, and head of corporate affairs at Thomson Reuters.

PRR became part of the WPP fold in 2006.

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