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| Tom Ryan |
Tom Ryan, CEO of ICR, announced that he plans to step down from the chief executive position at the agency.
Ryan, who co-founded the New York-based firm in 1998, will transition into the role of Executive Chairman.
The agency is now formally beginning the search for its next CEO, with global executive search and leadership consulting firm Spencer Stuart charged with leading the process.
Ryan, who will remain in the CEO position until a successor is named, in a statement referred to the search as a “proactive approach” that will consider “both internal candidates and external candidates.”
As Executive Chairman, Ryan will continue to partner with the new CEO and will also remain involved in long-term strategy, client relationships and growth opportunities.
“Succession planning is a vital part of any healthy organization, and given how well-positioned we are today, The Board, Don [Duffy, ICR President] and I believe now is the right time to begin implementing a thoughtful succession from a position of strength and confidence,” Ryan said in a statement. “To be clear, I’m not going anywhere. I will remain CEO until a successor is named and will continue to be fully engaged in leading the firm. Once a new CEO is in place, I will work closely with them in my new capacity as Executive Chairman, where I’ll focus on business development, client work, the podcast and other strategic initiatives across the firm as needed.”
ICR this year took the number-one spot for the first time in O’Dwyer’s rankings of financial PR firms, surging ahead of Edelman with $101 million in 2024 finance-related net fees to reveal an impressive $12 million gain from 2023’s $89 million in finance-related earnings.
The agency in a statement additionally reported that its first-half 2025 revenues revealed an 11 percent jump from the same period in 2024, driven by strong performance in core retainers and transactions support.
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