Karen van Bergen Named PRWeek Agency Professional of the Year

Van Bergen Recognized for "Truly Inspirational" Efforts to Transform Porter Novelli Culture and "Unwavering Advocacy to Serving Her Community"

News provided by

Omnicom Public Relations Group

Mar 21, 2016, 05:10 ET

NEW YORK, March 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Karen van Bergen, chief executive officer of Omnicom Public Relations Group, was named Agency PR Professional of the Year by public relations industry trade publication PRWeek. The PRWeek Awards are the communications industry's highest accolade; they celebrate the best of the best corporate, agency, nonprofit and education teams, and the work they produced during the entry period.

According to the PRWeek article, "Judges raved about Karen van Bergen's impact at Porter Novelli. 'Changing an organization's culture is harder than winning new business,' opined one judge. 'Karen van Bergen certainly did the latter, but her efforts on the former were truly inspirational.'"

Van Bergen was appointed chief executive officer of Omnicom Public Relations Group in February. Prior to that, she served as CEO of Porter Novelli. Over three years under her leadership, Porter Novelli experienced a significant transformation—marked by growth and award-winning work and capped by recognition as a 2014 PRWeek Best Place to Work—a result of van Bergen's steadfast focus on talent.

"This award is a tribute to the entire Porter Novelli team and their hard work, dedication and deep commitment to making the agency a success," said van Bergen. "I am so proud of all we accomplished together and I am truly humbled by this honor."

Van Bergen was named a 2016 "Woman of Influence" by the New York Business Journal, included on the PRWeek Power List in 2013, 2014 and 2015 and inducted into the PR News Hall of Fame in 2015. She is a member of the Arthur W. Page Society, The Seminar and is a founding member of Omniwomen, which aims to increase the influence and number of women leaders throughout the Omnicom network. She is a frequent mentor to young professional women.

The award was presented on March 17 at the 2016 PRWeek Awards Ceremony in New York City.

About Omnicom Public Relations Group
Omnicom Public Relations Group addresses changing client needs and the growing demand for seamlessly integrated teams, best in class talent across the globe and cutting-edge offerings that leverage the newest technology. It builds on Omnicom's core strategies for growth, focusing on talent, client service, collaboration, innovation and growth. Omnicom Public Relations Group encompasses 10 primary public relations agencies and more than 6,000 public relations professionals. It is a part of the DAS Group of Companies.

About the DAS Group of Companies
The DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), is a global group of marketing services companies. DAS includes over 200 companies in the following marketing disciplines: specialty, PR, healthcare, CRM, events, promotional marketing, branding and research. Operating through a combination of networks and regional organizations, DAS serves international, regional, national and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries.

SOURCE Omnicom Public Relations Group