Global public relations leader Porter Novelli (PN) has appointed three new partners to the firm. These appointments come in recognition of a deep commitment to attracting and developing the best talent; delivering strategic, results-oriented programs for clients; and driving strategic, sustainable growth for the agency.

New partners include:

• Inge Boets, managing director, Brussels
• Carrie Schum, executive vice president, strategic planning, analytics and research, Washington. D.C.
• Jimmy Szczepanek, executive vice president, Los Angeles, CA

Porter Novelli's partner program is comprehensive and robust. With only 19 partners at the company, candidates must meet stringent criteria. Partners are evaluated by the executive committee each year in order to retain their partner status.

"Inge, Carrie and Jimmy have contributed significantly to the agency through their focus on results-driven, award-winning work for clients and steadfast commitment to excellent client service," said Brad MacAfee, chief executive officer. "I am pleased to recognize their contributions to the agency, our clients and the industry."

Inge Boets has been with Porter Novelli since 1998 and became managing director of Porter Novelli in Brussels in 2014. She brings 20 years of corporate and marketing communications experience, having worked with many leading multinationals and trade industry associations. Boets' experience includes strategic consultancy, overall program planning and execution, issues and crisis management, coordination of multi-country and multi-region communications programs, the creation of partnerships and alliance building programs, working with key opinion leaders and advice in communication to end users or third party organizations.

In the 18 years Carrie Schum has been at PN, clients have benefited from her leadership, strategic insights, and creativity. Schum sees her mission as helping clients tell their story clearly and comprehensively to those who need it most. Research, insight and creativity are the tools she brings to bear, along with her years of experience as an account lead on some of the agency's largest clients. Schum also plays an integral role in using and promoting PN's proprietary Styles research surveys: ConsumerStyles, HealthStyles, YouthStyles and DocStyles.

Jimmy Szczepanek is an executive vice president in the agency's food & nutrition practice and is currently the global client relationship leader for the Almond Board of California. He has 20 years of public relations experience in the US and Asia, including nearly five years at Porter Novelli in Singapore where he was Managing Director. In that role, he led a team of consultants to provide public relations counsel and support for a range of consumer, corporate and technology clients within Singapore and across the Asia Pacific region.

About Porter Novelli

Porter Novelli is a global public relations agency built on a rich heritage of marketing for social good. We've been motivating people to change deeply ingrained behaviors rooted in cultural and social norms for more than 40 years. Porter Novelli is a different kind of agency—and we recognize, respect and champion companies with the spirit, drive and tenacity to do things differently. We like taking on big challenges, and even bigger challengers, and we seek out clients who feel the same way—clients who have the conviction to tell their own story, and the courage to innovate from who they have been into who they know they can be. For additional information, please visit www.porternovelli.com. Porter Novelli is a part of the DAS Group of Companies.

About Omnicom Public Relations Group

Omnicom Public Relations Group is a global collective of three of the top global public relations agencies worldwide and specialist agencies in areas including public affairs, marketing to women, fashion, global health strategy and corporate social responsibility. It encompasses more than 6,000 public relations professionals in more than 330 offices worldwide who provide their expertise to companies, government agencies, NGOs and nonprofits across a wide range of industries. Omnicom Public Relations Group is part of the DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. that includes more than 200 companies in a wide range of marketing disciplines including advertising, public relations, healthcare, customer relationship management, events, promotional marketing, branding and research.