Bridget von Holdt and Karl Haechler appointed co-CEOs of Burson Africa

Image supplied. Bridget von Holdt (left)and Karl Haechler (right) have been appointed co-CEOs of Burson Africa, with Lerato Songelwa (centre) the managing director for Burson South Africa.

Since March 2021 Haechler and von Holdt led BCW Africa as co-market leaders and Songelwa served as MD of Hill & Knowlton SA since October 2022.

Burson, Burson, a global communications agency, was created by the merger of BCW and Hill & Knowlton.

"Our new identity reflects our expertise and ambition in Africa. It's a powerful statement of who we are and what we're capable of achieving together.

“Our goal is to create a competitive advantage for our clients through reputation.

“I am looking forward to building and growing our clients across the continent,” says Holdt.

“The new Burson brings together highly specialised teams, incisive technologies and cut-through creative to redefine reputation to help our clients to lead today and into the future.

“I am extremely excited for the journey ahead and look forward to creating even more value for our clients, our people and our African network” adds Haechler.

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Songelwa says, ”At such an exciting time for Burson globally, it is an honour to take on this new role.

"I am proud of our highly skilled and diverse team of professionals with a shared passion for excellence and leveraging reputational capital for our clients, ensuring growth and value generation.’

Perfect combination

The trio brings the perfect combination of experience and expertise across sectors and markets.

"Bridget, Karl and Lerato bring a wealth of experience and a clear vision to Burson Africa.

"I am confident that they will drive value creation for both our customers and our talent across the continent, which we see as a significant growth area for the business,” says Bashar AlKadhi, CEO, Burson Middle East, Turkey and Africa.

The agency has a rich heritage in Africa spanning three decades and covering over 50 markets.

Burson Africa, headquartered in Johannesburg, has built its partner network across Africa with strong in-country agencies whose local knowledge, insights and connectivity are the foundation of delivering market-appropriate, award-winning, strategically driven communications support to clients in-market.