Graham White steps up as first chief operating officer of OPR
Communications agency OPR has appointed managing director of Howorth and OPR, Graham White, to the newly created role of chief operating officer.
OPR chief growth officer, Jacquie Potter, will be taking on the additional role of Howorth MD in his place.
Jacquie Potter and Graham White have taken on new leadership roles within OPR
White has been with the group for nearly two decades, including being group MD since 2005. In his new role, he will be working closely with OPR CEO Richard Brett and the agency’s finance director.
Brett said White’s leadership and skills make him the best choice for the COO role.
“I’m delighted we’re able to support talented senior professionals with new opportunities in the business. Graham celebrates two decades with OPR in April and has successfully led Howorth for the past 15 years. His resolute focus on people, financial performance, client service and external reputation means he’s a brilliant choice for this new role, where he will take on responsibility for all operational aspects of OPR, working closely with myself and our finance director,” he said.
“As CEO I need the best person to support in critical areas of the business, which ensures growth of our clients, our people and our reputation. Graham’s skills and his results-driven attitude will ensure he successfully combines this new role and his ongoing work with his existing client portfolio.”
White added: “After almost two decades in the agency, change is always good. It keeps us mentally sharp and continually evolving. I’m very proud of my achievements leading Howorth, keeping it on a strong growth trajectory and evolving our services so we remain relevant to our clients.
“Whilst I will miss holding those reins, I’m looking forward to working with Richard in this new role. It’s an exciting opportunity and one I’m already enjoying.”
Brett said Potter was a natural replacement for White. She spent almost 14 years with Howorth before moving into broader leadership roles for OPR in 2017.
“I’m thrilled Jacquie has accepted the role of Howorth’s managing director. She’s a natural replacement for Graham and will be ably supported by Howorth’s seasoned leadership team. I look forward to watching her continued development and how she can continue building Howorth as the country’s leading technology and B2B agency,” he said.
Potter commented: “Howorth is a fantastic business with a strong reputation as one of the leading technology communication agencies in Australia. Graham has done a brilliant job leading the Howorth business and I’m honoured to take this next step.
“Our agency is only ever as good as its people and we have a talented team who continue to inspire me with their creativity, strategy and drive. We’re restless in evolving the role of communications and how we deliver products and services to support communications and marketing teams in a changing landscape to help our clients move their business forward.”
In addition OPR has announced the appointment of Samantha Gale to associate director in its Melbourne office.
Gale joins from Cox Inall Change where she spent the past six months as group account director. Previously, she has spent almost five years in Edelman’s healthcare division.
In her new role, Gale will be reporting into OPR’s healthcare managing partner, Rachel Stanton.
Brett commented: “Key to OPR’s growth is having the best people so that we can continue to expand our fully integrated marketing communications capabilities and ensure our clients get best-in-class innovative work.
“This next decade will be an exciting period for the agency and our next growth phase. These appointments ensure we continue to evolve our leadership team so that we remain an energising and inspiring place to work.”
