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About PRGN

Independent by design.

Built to connect what matters.

For more than 30 years, PRGN has brought together the world’s leading independent public relations agencies into one trusted global network. We are a curated, member-led collective of owner-operated firms deeply embedded in the markets they serve and personally invested in client success. Together, we combine the agility, accountability and relationships of a boutique agency with the scale of a global team, helping organizations navigate complexity, expand across markets and communicate with confidence.

Explore our network

Markets Worldwide

Independent Agencies

Continents

What WE Do

Turning insight into influence.

We help organisations navigate complexity, connect across cultures and communicate with purpose in the moments that matter most. Our work spans corporate reputation, media engagement, digital strategy, crisis response, sustainability and brand storytelling.

What sets us apart is how we bring it together.

By combining global perspective with in-market expertise, we ensure strategies resonate across borders. From entering new markets to managing high-stakes moments, we help organizations move with clarity, confidence and impact.

How we work

Designed for alignment. Built for impact.

Our model is built for true integration across markets.

We operate as one connected team, bringing together senior leaders across geographies to align quickly, share insight openly and execute with precision. Every engagement is anchored by a clear global strategy, with in-market experts shaping how it comes to life locally.

The result is communications that are relevant, credible and effective within each market.

Because in global communications, consistency is expected. Relevance is earned.

Team

Meet our global leadership

PRGN’s elected Board represents regions around the world, ensuring strong governance, shared standards and global collaboration across the network.

PRGN Presidents

The PRGN President provides overall leadership for the network, setting strategic direction, strengthening global collaboration, and representing member agencies at an international level. Supported by the President-Elect and Immediate Past President, this group ensures continuity, governance, and long-term growth of the organisation.

The 34th President of PRGN, Frédéric François is Founder and Managing Partner of Two cents in Belgium and the Netherlands. Frédéric had his first job as a PR-assistant of Belgian Prime Minister Wilfried Martens. The PM got fired, Fred also. After this inspiring period he discovered the world of trade fairs at Brussels Expo for nearly 10 years, focusing on sales and PR. In 2001 he created Advanced Fair to be in touch with various sectors and people, serving them with PR services and logistic support at trade fairs. “Advanced Fair’s PR department developed so well that we decided to brand it separately. This is how Two cents was born,” says Fred.

Frédéric François

President

Bill Southard is Founder and CEO of Southard Communications in New York. Bill launched Southard Communications in 1994 and has since experienced consistent and considerable growth and today represents a broad range of clients across a myriad of industries. In his day-to-day role at the agency, Bill drives the creative process, provides ongoing strategic counsel and manages all crisis communications on behalf of agency clients. With more than 35 years of communications experience, Bill has counseled some of the country's leading Fortune 500 firms and prior to founding Southard has held top positions at Earle Palmer Brown Public Relations and Dorf & Stanton Communications.

Bill Southard

President-Elect

Natacha Clarac is general director of Brussels-based public affairs consultancy Athenora Consulting, which counsels leading European companies on impacts of new policies developed by European Union institutions. Athenora Consulting works with companies in the fields of banking, insurance and financial services, energy and utilities, tech and digital, healthcare, transport, environment and trade. A French native, Natacha builds strategies that help clients participate in the EU decision-making process.

Natacha Clarac

Immediate Past-President

PRGN Regional Vice-Presidents

Regional Vice-Presidents support members within their regions, fostering collaboration, sharing best practice, and driving regional initiatives. They act as a link between local agencies and global leadership, ensuring PRGN remains connected, relevant, and responsive across all markets.

Marisa Toro is co-founder and partner of Marlow Insight, a consultancy firm that specializes in corporate influence and go-to-market strategies to strengthen business and reputation, based in Madrid, Spain. Marisa’s extensive background in communications and public affairs include communications leadership positions at Spanish and multinational companies and directing communication and public affairs for Google in Southern Europe.

Marisa Toro

Regional VP (EMEA)

Natalie Ghidotti established her agency, Ghidotti, in 2007 and has developed it into a respected partner for prominent brands in the Southern region of the U.S. She is also serving as PRSA’s Chairman of Counselors Academy, a section for agency owners. Prior to her career in PR, she was a journalist for 11 years, working as a reporter and editor for The Business Press in Fort Worth, Texas, and Arkansas Business Publishing Group in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Natalie Ghidotti

Regional VP (The Americas)

Shawn Jiang Xiaofeng is Founder and General Manager of China Advocate, an agency based in Beijing with coverage to major Chinese cities. He has 20 years of experience in communications, strategic marketing and crisis management throughout Asia. At China Advocate he has developed a leading consultancy of corporate reputation and strategic marketing, serving international clients such as Boston Scientific, LinkedIn, Thermo Fisher and Byte Dance

Shawn Jiang Xiaofeng

Regional VP (APAC)

Network Leadership

PRGN's Network Leadership team provides strategic oversight and direction for the organisation, guiding its growth, governance, and global priorities. Working in close collaboration, they ensure alignment across regions, support member engagement, and represent the network at an international level.

Brad Kostka is President of Rococo in Cleveland, Ohio. He leads agency management and business development at Roopco. For more than two decades, he has provided strategic communication counsel to organizations ranging from global publicly traded corporations to local startups. His expertise includes brand strategy, integrated communications, investor relations, digital marketing and corporate event planning. Brad is past president of the Cleveland chapters of the Public Relations Society of America and International Association of Business Communicators. He also serves on the boards of local non-profits.

Brad Kostka

Treasurer

Macey Cleary Binner is a powerhouse in public relations and a partner at REED in Nashville, Tennessee. She leads the charge in business development and marketing, shaping the firm’s future with her strategic vision and talent for building meaningful client relationships. Macey’s leadership shines in account management while consistently expanding REED’s impressive portfolio. Her career is marked by orchestrating major media placements and securing high-profile opportunities for clients across various sectors. Notable achievements include helping THE TENNESSEAN Hotel earn the title of the South’s Best Hotel in Southern Living.

Macey Cleary Binner

Secretary

Gabor Jelinek is the Executive Director of Public Relations Global Network. In that capacity, Gabor is the center of action, supporting the work of the President and the Executive Committee to grow and develop the global communications network. Working closely with PRGN’s Business, Marketing and Membership committees, Gabor is the driver of global business development, self-marketing, and membership retention and recruitment.

Gabor Jelinek

Executive Director

Committee Chairs

PRGN’s committee chairs support the day-to-day development of the network through focused areas such as finance, membership, marketing, knowledge sharing, conferences, and business development. Working closely with leadership, they drive key initiatives, ensure smooth operations, and deliver programmes that add value to member agencies worldwide.

Rogério Artoni is Founder and Executive Director of Race Communications, a multidisciplinary communications and public relations agency in Brazil. With over 20 years of experience in communications, Rogério serves companies in various industry setors with communication services ranging from media relations and training, through social media management to internal communications. He seeks to expand Race Communications’ outreach in and out of Brazil. In 2016 and 2017, Rogério was named one of 350 most influential public relations professionals in the world by PRWeek magazine.

Rogério Artoni

Business Development Committee Chair

Loreley Maldonado is Founder and CEO of Eje Comunicación in Mexico City. With more than 20 years of experience in strategic communication, public affairs and corporate reputation and crisis management in Mexico and in various countries across the American continent, Loreley is also a columnist and has been an academic speaker on Corporate Reputation and Strategic Communication. At Eje Comunicación she has led communication and reputation programs for companies and organizations including Coca-Cola FEMSA, Genomma Lab, Coca-Cola Company, Medix, Grupo IMU, Asofarma, WWF, EGADE, Latina Desarrollos Energéticas, CoRe, Diri, Stryker, Viasat and Lafayette.

Loreley Maldonado

Conference Committee Chair

Nick Leighton is Owner and CEO of NettResults Middle East, based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Besides running NettResults, Nick is the author of best-selling book, Exactly Where You Want to Be: A business owners guide to passion, profit and happiness, and an Adjunct Professor at Chapman University in California, where he lectures to graduate and post-graduate classes in strategic communication.

Nick Leighton

Knowledge Committee Chair

Abbie S. Fink is president of HMA Public Relations in Phoenix, Arizona. She has been with the firm since 1993, most recently serving as vice president/general manager. Under her leadership, the agency was awarded a 2025 Silver Anvil Award of Excellence for Boutique Agency of the Year from the Public Relations Society of America and was inducted as a member of the Class of 2025 Arizona State University Sun Devil 100. Abbie is the host of Copper State of Mind and PRGN Presents, podcasts for executives and directors of marketing and communications. She is often called upon to present to a wide variety of business and civic organizations on such topics as media relations, social media and digital communications strategies, issues/crisis communications and special events management.

Abbie Fink

Marketing Committee Chair

Chuck Norman is Owner and Principal of S&A Communications in Raleigh Durham, North Carolina. Chuck has wide-ranging experience in public relations, marketing, crisis communication, and branding. His experience spans a variety of industries including automotive, commercial real estate, technology, healthcare, government and municipal, associations, professional services, economic development, and chambers of commerce.

Chuck Norman

Membership Committee Chair

Let’s build the right team for what’s next

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