Burson Moves To Integrate Axicom, Triggering Leadership Exits

(MENAFN- PRovoke) LONDON - Burson is integrating Axicom's technology operations into its core structure, PRovoke Media has learned, in a move that will see the departure of Axicom's global CEO and other senior leaders.

The changes are part of a broader effort to consolidate the group's technology capabilities under a single operational model, with Axicom's regional leadership now reporting into Burson.

As part of the restructure, Axicom global CEO Matt Lackie – who was also named as Burson's global chair of technology in February last year – is leaving the business, alongside global chief operating officer Rosie Bannister and chief experience officer Kate Stevens.

Sources familiar with the situation said the integration is already underway in some regions, including Latin America (where Brazilian firm Ideal was merged into Axicom in 2024), and is now being implemented in EMEA, where it is understood to extend to country leadership in parts of Europe.

Under the new model, Burson and Axicom will continue to operate as distinct brands, but with a unified operational structure designed to give clients access to a broader pool of technology expertise, as well as corporate and public affairs, data and AI, and creative capabilities.

The two tech operations will form a new Global Technology Practice led by Burson's CEO of the Americas Kristine Boyden, who joined in 2023 and previously spent 12 years in leadership positions at Edelman.

The move comes on the heels of reports that WPP chief executive Cindy Rose is exploring the sale of the holding company's PR arm, including Burson.

Burson global CEO Corey duBrowa told PRovoke Media:“We are constantly working to ensure we offer clients and colleagues the most streamlined, effective and efficient experience we can.

“As such, we have reorganized the global operations of Axicom to now fall under Burson management. Both the Burson and Axicom technology brands and teams will remain distinct and separate, and they will continue to serve clients where and when their respective expertise is best suited.”

Lackie (pictured, left) joined Axicom in 2021 after leading the global tech practice at Golin for three years. Before that, he spent a decade at We. Communications (then Waggener Edstrom) in Singapore, having started his career at Text 100 in San Francisco.

Stevens (centre) leaves Axicom after more than 19 years, joining in 2007 as an account director and rising to become MD, before being named as European president after the sudden death of Europe CEO Henry Brake in 2020. In 2024, she took on a global role, becoming Axicom's first chief experience officer.

Bannister (right) joined Axicom in 2020 as UK managing director from Huawei, where she was director of communications for its consumer business group. Her UK role was expanded to include global head of marketing and growth in 2024, and last year she became global COO.

All three were part of the senior global leadership team that led Axicom's expansion as WPP's technology specialist firm and resulted in it being named by PRovoke Media as the Best PR Network to Work For in EMEA in 2025 and one of the 40 Best Technology Agencies in the World earlier this year. Their next moves are not yet known.

It is understood that Axicom European president Isobel Coney – who joined in 2025 after being MD at Red Consultancy in London – and new UK MD Magin Trewhella (formerly John Doe group CEO) remain in position, as does Americas president Lisa Sullivan, who joined in 2022 from Ketchum.

Internally, the move is being framed as a way to simplify the firm's structure and broaden client access to talent across the combined business, while maintaining strict firewalls to manage client confidentiality.

However, questions remain about how the group will manage potential conflicts between clients, particularly where Burson and Axicom have historically represented competing brands.

The integration also reflects a wider trend among holding companies to streamline specialist capabilities and reduce duplication across agency networks, particularly in high-growth sectors such as technology.

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