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| Mark McCall |
FTI Consulting's strategic communications unit registered 1.2 percent growth to $58.4M during the first quarter. Profit (EBITDA) slipped 23.5 percent largely due to costs connected to a 14.7 percent rise in billable headcount to 755 people.
Mark McCall, global stratcom leader, called the financial performance solid, when compared to the record-setting results in the year-ago period and the seemingly overnight changes in the business environment beginning mid-quarter with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While M&A work declined, the stratcom group saw a pick-up in public affairs, issues/crisis work and counseling clients how to respond to disruptions in the supply chains and customer base.
McCall anticipates his group will benefit during the COVID-19 recovery period from opportunities in the bankruptcy, litigation, life sciences, healthcare and environmental/social/governance categories.
Public Policy Holding Company registered 23.8 percent Q3 growth to $48.8M, with organic growth contributing 4.5 percent and the balance driven by merger & acquisition activity.
Publicis Groupe reported 3.1 percent in Q3 growth to $4B, sparked by a 3.6 percent jump North America, its biggest market.
WPP suffered a 10.2 percent drop in 1H revenues to $6.7B and a 47.8 percent plunge in operating profit to $297M.
Interpublic reported Q2 net revenues dropped 6.6 percent to $2.2B and operating income tumbled 23.4 percent to $243.7M. 
WPP has adopted a gloomier profit and sales forecast due to a deteriorating Q2 financial performance triggered by weak client spending as companies cope with the challenging economic backdrop.
