PR giant Teneo names Ursula Burns as new chair amid misconduct scandal
Teneo has named Ursula Burns as its new chair as the PR giant looks to restore its reputation in the wake of a misconduct scandal surrounding one of its founders.
The company, which describes itself as a global CEO advisory firm, today announced the appointment of Burns with immediate effect.
It comes a week after Teneo boss Declan Kelly stepped down as chairman and chief executive following claims of drunken misconduct at a star-studded fundraising concert.
The Financial Times reported that Kelly behaved inappropriately at a party linked to the concert, which was chaired by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and featured performances by artists including Jennifer Lopez.
General Motors cancelled a $250,000-a-month contract in response, sparking fears of a mass exodus of clients.
Kelly, who co-founded the company in 2011, said he made an “inadvertent, public and embarrassing mistake”, adding he was resigning to protect the company’s reputation.
Chief operating officer Paul Keary took over as chief executive.
Burns has served as a senior adviser to Teneo since 2017 and was previously a client of the firm.
She most recently served as chief executive and chair of telecoms firm Veon and previously led Xerox.
“We are very pleased to have Ursula taking on an expanded role with Teneo at this important time for the firm,” new boss Keary said in a statement.
“Ursula is an exceptional leader with deep expertise and experience that will be extremely valuable to both our clients and our 1,250 professionals around the world.”