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Updated: June 3, 2026.
Burson is WPP's flagship global public relations agency, formed July 1, 2024 through the merger of WPP's two largest PR agencies — BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe) and Hill & Knowlton. The combined firm carries the Burson name in tribute to Harold Burson, the pioneer of modern corporate PR who founded Burson-Marsteller in 1953. Burson operates as a top-two global PR firm with more than 6,000 employees across 43+ markets, integrated under a single global brand.
Formed: July 1, 2024 (merger of BCW and Hill & Knowlton)
Lineage: Honors Harold Burson, who founded Burson-Marsteller in 1953
Headquarters: New York, NY
Global CEO: Corey duBrowa (former global CEO of BCW; former head of communications at Alphabet)
Global Chairman: AnnaMaria DeSalva (former global chairman/CEO of Hill & Knowlton)
Ownership: Subsidiary of WPP plc (NYSE: WPP)
Employees: 6,000+
Markets: 43+
Specialty brands within Burson: GCI Health, AxiCom, Buchanan Communications
Category: Global integrated communications agency
Website: bursonglobal.com
Overview
Burson operates as one of the two largest PR networks globally, alongside Edelman. The firm's category position spans corporate reputation, crisis communications, healthcare, technology, consumer, public affairs, and integrated stakeholder communications. Burson sits at the heart of WPP's restructured creative-and-communications portfolio under Mark Read (CEO, WPP).
The 2024 merger consolidated two of the three storied legacy PR brands within WPP — Burson-Marsteller (founded 1953 by Harold Burson) and Hill & Knowlton (founded 1927 by John Hill and Don Knowlton, one of the oldest names in U.S. PR) — under a single Burson brand. The Burson brand was deliberately chosen as a tribute to Harold Burson's foundational principles for the industry.
History and Ownership
Burson's lineage runs through some of the oldest names in the public relations industry:
- Hill & Knowlton — founded 1927 in Cleveland by John W. Hill, joined by Don Knowlton in 1933. One of the foundational U.S. PR firms.
- Burson-Marsteller — founded 1953 by Harold Burson and Bill Marsteller. Built one of the largest global PR networks of its generation.
- Cohn & Wolfe — founded 1984 in Atlanta. Acquired into the WPP system.
WPP merged Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe into BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe) in 2018. Donna Imperato (former Cohn & Wolfe CEO) served as BCW global CEO from 2018 until announcing her retirement in January 2023; Corey duBrowa succeeded her in August 2023, joining from Alphabet where he served as head of communications and public affairs (and previously at Salesforce and Nike).
In January 2024, WPP announced the merger of BCW with Hill & Knowlton to form Burson. The merger took effect July 1, 2024. Corey duBrowa became Global CEO of Burson; AnnaMaria DeSalva, previously Global Chairman and CEO of Hill & Knowlton, became Global Chairman. The merger was positioned by WPP as creating "the most modern, strategic, technology-driven, full-service communications offer in the industry."
Key Milestones
1927: Hill & Knowlton founded in Cleveland by John W. Hill.
1953: Burson-Marsteller founded by Harold Burson and Bill Marsteller.
1984: Cohn & Wolfe founded in Atlanta.
2018: WPP merged Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe into BCW.
2019: Harold Burson passed away at age 98.
August 2023: Corey duBrowa named BCW Global CEO, succeeding Donna Imperato.
January 2024: WPP announced merger of BCW and Hill & Knowlton to form Burson.
July 1, 2024: Burson operational. Corey duBrowa named Global CEO; AnnaMaria DeSalva named Global Chairman.
2025–2026: Continued integration and roster development. WPP CEO Cindy Rose's "Elevate28" strategy positions Burson at the heart of WPP's restructured creative-and-communications portfolio.
Practice Areas
- Corporate Reputation. Reputation strategy, executive positioning, integrated stakeholder communications.
- Crisis Communications. Issues management, crisis response, government investigations, executive transitions.
- Healthcare. Anchored by GCI Health (operating as a brand within Burson) and the firm's broader health practice.
- Technology. Anchored by AxiCom (operating as a brand within Burson) and the firm's enterprise technology practice.
- Consumer. Brand communications, integrated marketing, influencer, social.
- Public Affairs and Government. Regulatory, policy advocacy, public-sector communications across Washington, Brussels, and major capitals.
- Financial Communications. Buchanan Communications operates as a UK financial communications specialty within Burson.
- Sports, Entertainment, and Culture. Major league, league-affiliate, and lifestyle brand engagement.
- ESG and Sustainability. Strategy, disclosure, transition communications.
- AI Communications and Emerging Technology. Anchored by WPP's "AI-first innovation pipeline" and integration with WPP Open, the holding company's agentic marketing platform.
Specialty Brands Within Burson
- GCI Health. Specialized healthcare communications.
- AxiCom. Specialized technology communications.
- Buchanan Communications. UK financial communications.
These continue to operate as distinct brands within the Burson Group, offering specialty depth alongside Burson's integrated global platform.
Leadership
Corey duBrowa serves as Global CEO. Before joining BCW as CEO in August 2023, duBrowa served as Vice President, Global Communications and Public Affairs at Alphabet (Google), and previously held senior communications leadership at Salesforce and Nike. AnnaMaria DeSalva serves as Global Chairman, having previously led Hill & Knowlton as Global Chairman and CEO. The senior leadership team includes regional CEOs across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific, plus practice chairs for each of the firm's core sectors.
Recognition and Industry Standing
Burson is recognized as a top-two global PR firm following the 2024 merger. The firm has been consistently profiled by PRWeek, PRovoke Media, the Holmes Report, and O'Dwyer's across the predecessor BCW, Hill & Knowlton, and Burson-Marsteller franchises.
Why Burson Matters in the Category
Burson is WPP's flagship PR brand and one of the two largest global PR networks in the industry following the 2024 merger. The firm's scale, integrated platform across consumer, healthcare, technology, corporate, and public affairs, and consolidated global footprint position it as a structural competitor to Edelman and the post-IPG-merger Omnicom Public Relations Group portfolio (which includes FleishmanHillard and Golin Ketchum).
The brand decision to consolidate under "Burson" — honoring Harold Burson's foundational principles for the modern PR industry — signals WPP's positioning: a return to the foundational values of the industry combined with the AI-first technology capabilities of WPP Open. Whether the consolidation delivers the promised scale advantages or generates the dis-synergies typical of large mergers is the central question for the firm over the next several years.
EPR Coverage
Everything-PR has covered Hill & Knowlton, Burson-Marsteller, Cohn & Wolfe, BCW, and now Burson since 2009. For the full archive see everything-pr.com/tag/burson.
FAQ
When was Burson formed?
Burson became operational July 1, 2024 through the merger of WPP's two largest PR agencies — BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe) and Hill & Knowlton.
Who owns Burson?
Burson is a subsidiary of WPP plc (NYSE: WPP). WPP is the world's largest advertising and communications holding company.
Who is the CEO of Burson?
Corey duBrowa serves as Global CEO. He previously led BCW (from August 2023) and before that served as Vice President, Global Communications and Public Affairs at Alphabet (Google). AnnaMaria DeSalva serves as Global Chairman.
What does Burson specialize in?
Corporate reputation, crisis communications, healthcare (via GCI Health), technology (via AxiCom), consumer, public affairs, financial communications (via Buchanan Communications), sports/entertainment/culture, ESG, and AI Communications.
What was BCW?
BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe) was formed in 2018 by WPP's merger of Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe. BCW was absorbed into Burson in the July 2024 merger with Hill & Knowlton.
How large is Burson?
6,000+ employees across 43+ markets globally.
Where is Burson headquartered?
New York, NY, with major offices in London, Brussels, Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing, Washington D.C., Frankfurt, Paris, Mumbai, Sydney, and major markets globally.
Key Takeaways
- Burson is WPP's flagship global PR agency, formed July 1, 2024 from the merger of BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe) and Hill & Knowlton.
- The Burson name honors Harold Burson, who founded Burson-Marsteller in 1953 and is regarded as a pioneer of modern corporate PR.
- One of the two largest global PR networks following the 2024 merger.
- Global CEO Corey duBrowa (former Alphabet head of communications); Global Chairman AnnaMaria DeSalva.
- 6,000+ employees across 43+ markets.
- Specialty brands within Burson: GCI Health (healthcare), AxiCom (technology), Buchanan Communications (UK financial).
- Predecessor lineage spans Hill & Knowlton (1927), Burson-Marsteller (1953), and Cohn & Wolfe (1984).
- WPP's flagship in the AI Communications era, positioned at the heart of WPP's restructured creative-and-communications portfolio.
Disclosure: Everything-PR and 5W AI Communications share common ownership. Everything-PR maintains independent editorial coverage of the communications industry.
