Weber Shandwick Strengthens Management of Brussels and Spain Operations

BRUSSELS, Belgium and MADRID, Spain, Dec. 12 /PRNewswire/ — Weber
Shandwick, one of the world’s leading global public relations firms, today
announced the appointments of Mark MacGann as CEO of its Brussels-based public
affairs and PR operations and Josep Catlla as CEO for Spain and Iberia.

Mark will lead Weber Shandwick’s EU public affairs practice and the firm’s
Belgian PR operations, beginning in March 2009. Josep, who earlier this year
took on management responsibility for Weber Shandwick Spain, as well as Weber
Shandwick Brussels, will now move 100 percent to CEO of Weber Shandwick Spain
and head up the firm’s Iberia operations. They will report to Colin Byrne, CEO
for Weber Shandwick Europe, and are members of the firm’s European senior
leadership team.

“Mark is a stand-out leader of the new generation of European public
affairs leaders,” said Byrne. “He has deep experience both in consultancy and
in-house along with managing one of Brussel’s most vibrant and dynamic
industry associations. He has worked in key political centres like Washington,
D.C. and other EU capitals, as well as Brussels. We are pleased that Mark will
be leading Weber Shandwick’s talented team of EU public affairs
professionals.”

Since 2004, Mark has been Director General of Digital Europe (EICTA), the
organisation representing the European digital technology industry, serving as
chief lobbyist and media spokesperson for one of Europe’s most dynamic and
influential industry sectors. Previously, Mark was an associate partner with
UK-based public relations consultancy Brunswick, working on international
mergers and acquisitions in its London, Paris and New York offices. Prior to
this position, Mark held several senior management positions at Alcatel-Lucent
(then Alcatel), including vice president, strategic affairs for Alcatel Space,
working in Paris and Washington, D.C., and head of European government
affairs. He also worked as an advisor on EU affairs to the Rhone-Alpes
Regional Government in France and was a consultant with the Euro RSCG public
relations firm in Paris.

Commenting on his appointment, MacGann said, “I am pleased to be taking on
this role at Weber Shandwick, given its stellar reputation in global public
affairs and advocacy building. The challenges faced today by the political and
corporate worlds are unprecedented, and my role will be to deepen the firm’s
well-respected PR and advocacy operations in Europe, and support our clients
globally on the variety of public affairs challenges and opportunities they
face.”

Josep has extensive experience in public relations, public affairs and
political consulting and has worked with a variety of international companies
and political institutions. He was managing director of Weber Shandwick in
Spain until mid-2004.

“Josep has done a fantastic job leading our Brussels team and I look
forward to working with him in his new major-market leadership role in Spain
and Iberia,” said Byrne. “He is a great senior counsellor and leader who
brings deep thinking and a strategic mindset to help serve the needs of our
clients.”

About Weber Shandwick

Weber Shandwick is a leading global public relations agency with offices
in over 79 markets around the world. The firm’s reputation is built on its
deep commitment to client service, creativity, collaboration and harnessing
the power of Advocates — engaging stakeholders in new and creative ways to
build brands and reputation. Weber Shandwick provides strategy and execution
across world-class practices such as consumer marketing, healthcare,
technology, public affairs, corporate/financial and crisis management. Its
specialized services include digital/social media, advertising, market
research, and corporate responsibility. Weber Shandwick received the highest
client-satisfaction honors in the 2007 Agency Excellence Survey by PRWeek U.S.
and in 2008, was named Large PR Firm of the Year (PR News U.S.) and in 2006
was named European Consultancy of the Year (The Holmes Report) and Network of
the Year (Asia Pacific PR Awards). The firm also won the United Nations Grand
Award for Outstanding Achievement in Public Relations for the past three
years. Weber Shandwick is part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). For more
information, visit http://www.webershandwick.com/.

     Contacts:
     Colin Byrne                             Jennifer Norton
     +44 (0) 207 067 0191                    212-445-8314
     cbyrne@webershandwick.com               jnorton@webershandwick.com

SOURCE Weber Shandwick