Burson-Marsteller Names Rick Powell COO and Bill Rylance as Vice Chairman, Global Development, and Chairman, Asia Pacific

Burson-Marsteller, a leading global public relations and communications consultancy, today announced it has appointed Richard C. Powell Jr. as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Bill Rylance as Vice Chairman, Global Development, and Chairman, Asia Pacific. Both will report to Burson-Marsteller CEO Mark Penn. Powell’s appointment marks his return to Burson-Marsteller, where he worked from 1992 to 1999. Rylance, who is currently CEO of the firm’s Asia Pacific region, will take on his new senior strategic role at the end of the year. Powell, 40, will be based in New York to work with the management team on its operations, on key strategic clients, and help execute the firm’s plan. He has served as a managing director of Quinn, Gillespie & Associates (QGA), one of Washington D.C.’s leading public affairs firms, since 2001, overseeing the financial and operational functions of the firm. He has also provided public affairs and corporate communications counsel to a variety of QGA clients, including Bank of America, Hewlett Packard and Zurich Financial Services. As Vice Chairman, Global Development, Rylance, 48, will be focused on spearheading the firm’s worldwide acquisition and affiliates strategy and on identifying and growing a new group of global clients. He will facilitate the transition of day-to-day leadership of Burson-Marsteller’s Asia Pacific operations to a new Regional CEO by the end of 2007, but will continue to serve as strategist and counselor to the region’s leadership team in his expanded role as Chairman, Asia Pacific. "Together these appointments significantly bolster our leadership as the firm continues to enhance and integrate its global offering. Rick and Bill will collaborate closely on global growth opportunities and issues. "Rick will be a great addition to our drive to offer the most modern state-of-the-art communications and public relations to our clients,” said Penn. "And Bill’s new role means that he will continue to guide not only Asia – where he is one of the most highly regarded professionals – but also help us on a strategic global level as well,” Penn said. Penn has been CEO since January 2006 and has been implementing a strategy to drive the firm to enhance its digital, integrated, global and strategic offerings. Powell joined QGA after working in venture capital management, first as co-founder and Managing Director of Washington, D.C. based technology incubator VenCatalyst, and then when VenCatalyst was bought by rival idealab!. Powell co-founded and was managing director of the New York office for idealab!. Prior to founding VenCatalyst, Powell served as Chief Knowledge Officer and member of the Worldwide Operating Committee at Burson-Marsteller. He joined the firm in the Washington, D.C. office in 1992 where his work focused on public affairs issues. In 1995, Powell moved to Burson-Marsteller’s New York office where he became chief of staff to the firm’s COO. He was named Chief Knowledge Officer in 1998. Powell is on the board of Global Action for Children (GAC), American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Young Entrepreneurs Foundation. He is a native of Tennessee and graduated from Southern Methodist University. Rylance joined Burson-Marsteller in London in 1982. In 1986, he was assigned to Korea to lead the company's worldwide public relations program for the 1988 Seoul Olympics, providing counsel to the Organizing Committee President, senior IOC officials, and major Olympic sponsors. Since 1999, he has been President and CEO of Burson-Marsteller Asia Pacific and has led the firm through eight years of growth, stability and industry-leading recognition. Under Rylance’s leadership, Burson-Marsteller entered India with the acquisition of Genesis, the country’s leading public relations firm. During his tenure, the Asia Pacific regional network has grown significantly and was recognized as PRWeek’s ‘Network of the Year’ three times in five years and was runner-up two other times. Burson-Marsteller Asia Pacific also topped the Agency Report Card in 2004 and 2005, as ranked by Media. Rylance is a graduate of the University of London with an MSc from London Business School. About Burson-Marsteller Burson-Marsteller (www.burson-marsteller.com), established in 1953, is a leading global public relations and public affairs firm. It provides clients with strategic thinking and program execution across a full range of public relations, public affairs, advertising, and web-related services. The firm’s seamless worldwide network consists of 57 wholly-owned offices and 46 affiliate offices, together operating in 59 countries across six continents. Burson-Marsteller is a part of Young & Rubicam Brands, a subsidiary of WPP (NASDQ: WPPGY), one of the world’s leading communications services networks.