BPI names Dave Whiting Partner, expanding senior leadership and Boston presence. August 26, 2026 Weber Shandwick executive brings deep expertise in business marketing, corporate affairs, and data-driven communications BPI today announced that Dave Whiting has joined the firm as Partner, bringing more than two decades of experience helping organizations reach and influence complex audiences across business, communications, and public affairs. Based in Boston, Whiting will advise clients across BPI's integrated offering, bringing new approaches to reaching complex, high-value audiences and helping organizations navigate increasingly interconnected stakeholder environments. He will also strengthen BPI's senior presence in Boston and the Northeast while bringing extensive experience working with clients and teams globally. "BPI is fundamentally in the persuasion business, and that starts with deeply understanding the audiences that matter," said BPI Founding Partner Ben Coffey Clark. "We've known Dave as one of the real pioneers bringing precision data and modern techniques to the communications business. That expertise has applications far beyond traditional B2B marketing, whether you're trying to reach customers, investors, employees, or other critical stakeholders. Dave and I worked together in politics and consulting decades ago when we both were starting our careers. As BPI expands both domestically and internationally, this is the perfect time for him to finally join the team." Whiting joins BPI from Weber Shandwick, where he served as Executive Vice President, Business Marketing and General Manager of the firm's Boston office, leading a team of 80 communications, marketing and creative professionals. Before Weber Shandwick, he spent 12 years at Edelman, where he led the firm's global B2B operations and marketing strategies for clients and focused on integrating data and analytics into communications strategies. Earlier in his career, Whiting spent a decade in Washington, D.C., as a lobbyist and public affairs advisor for political and corporate clients and foreign governments. Whiting also brings extensive international experience, including work across Asia, complementing BPI's growing international footprint and integrated approach to helping clients navigate business, political, and reputational challenges across markets. "The most interesting communications challenges today don't fit neatly into traditional categories," said Whiting. "What drew me to BPI is the ability to bring together deep audience understanding, data, technology, and human expertise around a business problem. I'm excited to bring my experience to that model, help clients navigate increasingly complex stakeholder environments, and contribute to BPI's growth in Boston and globally." Whiting joined BPI on August 24, 2026 and will be based in Boston.

Bully Pulpit International names Rob Shepardson as Senior Advisor to drive integrated brand and public affairs strategy. July 16, 2026 Bully Pulpit International (BPI) today welcomes Rob Shepardson, communications strategist and co-founder of the award-winning agency SS+K, as Senior Advisor. Bringing more than 40 years of experience at the intersection of advertising, public affairs, politics, and issue advocacy, Rob will help BPI clients navigate today's complex, high-stakes reputational landscape. Shepardson's arrival reflects a continued and deliberate strategic push by BPI to serve modern leaders whose challenges straddle corporate communications, CMO mandates, and brand groups. By breaking down the traditional silos between corporate reputation and consumer brand marketing, Shepardson will help clients align high-impact brand narratives with meaningful public advocacy and societal impact. "Rob is a sage voice that I have learned from since the first days of BPI. He brings such credibility as a pioneer of culture-first campaigns, from Livestrong and Obama 2008. But CMOs love it because he can bring that creativity without the hype and focus on how to use it to drive clear business outcomes," said BPI CEO Andrew Bleeker. Throughout his career, Rob has led high-impact initiatives and campaigns across the commercial, political and non-profit sectors. His advocacy and political portfolio includes serving as the youth agency for President Barack Obama's 2008 and 2012 campaigns, as well as directing major efforts for the Obama White House, the Biden/Harris campaign, the Biden White House, the Harris/Walz campaign. On the corporate and institutional side, Rob has guided brands such as Microsoft, HBO, JP Morgan Chase, L'Oreal, Starbucks, AWS, Meta, WhatsApp, the NCAA, the Open Society Foundations, the AFL-CIO, and more. His work has won multiple awards, including Cannes Lions for creative excellence and effectiveness. He has worked extensively in public health and healthcare, including LiveStrong (leading the agency team that developed the iconic yellow wristband), the Gates Foundation, Let's Move! (former First Lady Michelle Obama's signature anti-childhood obesity campaign), Mt. Sinai Health System, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Sandy Hook Promise, No Kid Hungry, Planned Parenthood, the UN Development Programme, the ONE Campaign, and more. "Andrew and his partners have built one of the best firms in the world. They merge deep political intelligence with next-generation technology to drive strategy, giving clients a competitive edge in shaping narratives and building their brands," said new BPI senior advisor, Rob Shepardson. "Success today demands breaking down the silos between corporate reputation, advertising, and advocacy. I look forward to joining the team and helping clients navigate the pressures of a fast-moving, fractured media ecosystem." "As production becomes more accessible, great strategy and bold creative will be the ultimate differentiators. Rob will help guide our team to the kind of insightful strategies that result in creative capable of creating real change.," said Christina Sheffey, Partner & Executive Creative Director. Previously, Rob advised heads of state and international presidential campaigns at the Sawyer/Miller Group. In 2014, President Obama appointed him to the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, serves as an adjunct faculty member at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, and is an advisor to Cortico, a non-profit affiliated with MIT Media Lab's Center for Constructive Communication The news of Shepardson's appointment comes during a period of rapid global growth for BPI. It follows the recent additions of Elizabeth Alexander as Partner, leading litigation communications, and Jo-ann Robertson as President of Europe, alongside BPI's strategic acquisition of European firms 365 Sherpas, BOLDT, Message House, and Seven Hills.

Washington-based communications consultancy Bully Pulpit International has acquired Berlin-based corporate affairs firm 365 Sherpas from the Hirschen Group. The deal makes Germany BPI's third-largest market worldwide. Founded in 2009, BPI employs over 300 consultants and previously expanded into Europe by acquiring Boldt in 2024 and UK firms Seven Hills and Message House. The combined Berlin and Brussels teams of 365 Sherpas and Boldt BPI will operate under the 365 Sherpas BPI brand in Germany, with nearly 100 consultants. 365 Sherpas' three managing partners—Cornelius Winter, Jan Böttger and Daniel Wixforth—will become BPI partners, with Winter joining the Global Executive Leadership Team. The Hirschen Group will become BPI's exclusive creative partner in continental Europe.