John Saunders and Dave Senay(L to R) John Saunders & Dave Senay

FleishmanHillard today announced that John Saunders, president of the agency’s Europe, Middle East and Africa region, will succeed Dave Senay as president and CEO.

Saunders assumes the new role immediately. A 25-year FleishmanHillard veteran, Saunders in 1990 helped found Dublin, Ireland-based FleishmanHillard Saunders, which became one of that Omnicom unit's most successful offices. In 2004 he was appointed Europe regional director, and seven years later assumed the role of EMEA president. He was a journalist prior to his career in PR, working with Ireland national public service broadcaster Radio Telefis Eireann. He also formerly served as president of global PR consortium ICCO.

A Dublin native, Saunders will relocate to St. Louis, where Fleishman is headquartered.

"I am honored and humbled by this new responsibility and the faith shown in me by FleishmanHillard and Omnicom," Saunders said in a statement. "FleishmanHillard has a legacy of excellence at every level, with an uncanny sense of what clients need most, and the best employees in the industry to meet those needs.”

Fleishman’s announcement of a new president and CEO comes as the result of a yearlong leadership evaluation process, according to the agency in a statement.

Senay, who has held the title of president and CEO since 2006, was the third CEO in Fleishman’s history. He steps down after more than three decades with the company, joining FleishmanHillard in 1984. He is specifically cited with initiating the agency’s adoption of a digital platform, and launching the "Ethics as Culture" program, which promotes ethical decision-making in PR. That program was later adopted by The PR Council, which Senay served as chairman for two terms.

Senay will continue working with FleishmanHillard as a consultant.

Dale Adams, chairman and CEO of Omnicom division The DAS Group of Companies, called Senay “one of the industry's most respected leaders," and said he was “ahead of the curve in recognizing the profound changes taking place in our industry and helping FleishmanHillard evolve to meet those challenges.”

In a statement, Senay said the following:

“To say it has been an honor to lead FleishmanHillard is a monumental understatement. From day one, it has been the people of FleishmanHillard who made the firm the gold standard for quality in the public relations industry,” Senay said. “John will carry on a tradition of excellence that goes back to our founding in St. Louis in 1946."