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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.
WPP CEO Cindy Rose declares her stabilization plan is "firmly on track" as the company reports a 4.7 percent dip in 1H revenues.
FTI Consulting reported a 2.6 percent drop in Q2 strategic communications revenues to $100M, a shortfall largely due to a $7.4M decline in pass-through revenues.
Omnicom CEO John Wren reported a 7.2 percent rise in Q2 “core operations” to $6B and a 6.1 percent spurt on an organic basis.
Publicis Groupe’s H1 net revenues inched ahead by 1.1 percent to $8.3B. Organic growth hit the 4.7 percent mark.
Public Policy Holding Company grew 27.5 percent to $50.1M during Q1, powered by the accelerating contribution from recent acquisitions and a 5.1 percent hike in organic revenues across its three operating segments.
