July 11, 2023, NEW YORK – Hill+Knowlton Strategies, one of the world’s leading strategic communications companies, today announced the appointment of Craig Buchholz, former head of communications for General Motors, as its new US CEO. Based in New York, he will report to Global Chairman and CEO, AnnaMaria DeSalva and join Hill+Knowlton’s Global Leadership Council.
Craig Buchholz
Buchholz has a career spanning nearly three decades as a business leader in both the agency and client arenas, with deep experience in Fortune 100 companies in the automotive, consumer goods, and healthcare sectors. Most recently, he served as senior vice president of global communications for GM, where, as the top communications executive and a member of the senior leadership team, he was responsible for the company’s overall global communications strategy. At GM, he was instrumental in helping the company execute its unprecedented transformation to become a leader in electric vehicles, autonomous technology, and software services. During his tenure, the company visibly gained in stature and reputation.
Prior to GM, Buchholz was Chief Communications Officer for Procter & Gamble, where he served as a key advisor to the CEO and other C-suite leaders. In his role, he oversaw all elements of the consumer goods giant’s communications, including media relations, policy, financial, crisis management, employee communications, and corporate citizenship. At P&G, Buchholz led global teams across five business units, setting communications strategy and framing the company’s narrative for all of its stakeholders.
“I am proud and delighted to welcome Craig Buchholz as the new leader of our US business,” said DeSalva. “He is a highly respected, admired leader in our field who has helped some of the world’s most important companies advance through significant periods of transformation and growth. He is deep in industrial sectors that are important to our business. And as a former H+K client, Craig knows us well. I’m excited to work with him to scale our US business, building on the momentum that Richard Millar has established over the last three years.” Buchholz succeeds Millar, who has led the US market since 2019. As planned, Millar will continue in his role as H+K’s Global President, returning to the UK following his assignment in the US.
DeSalva added, “I cannot thank Richard enough for stepping in for our US business when we needed him the most. Our return to growth in the US under Richard’s leadership has been materially important for all of Hill+Knowlton.”
Prior to P&G, Buchholz spent nearly a decade at Merck, where he led the team responsible for strategic communications on behalf of the company’s prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, consumer care, and animal health products. While at Merck, he was deeply involved in the company’s $41 billion acquisition of Schering-Plough. Earlier in his career, Buchholz held a variety of positions at Johnson & Johnson, Pharmacia (now Pfizer), and several public relations agencies. He is a Fellow of the Aspen Institute, a Trustee of the Arthur W. Page Society, and a member of the Drexel University Kline School of Law Board, where he established the Buchholz Law Technology Lab. Buchholz received his J.D. from Drexel University Kline School of Law, and his B.A. from Temple University.
“I could not be more enthusiastic about stepping into this CEO role at an important inflection point for Hill+Knowlton,” said Buchholz. “The US business has a phenomenal trajectory thanks to the iconic client portfolio, the dedicated teams, the vision of AnnaMaria, and the steady leadership of Richard over the past three years. I look forward to bringing both my agency and corporate experience to continue the momentum and scale the growth that will establish H+K as an industry powerhouse.”
Hill+Knowlton Strategies
Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Inc. is an international communications consultancy, providing services to local, multinational, and global clients. H+K operates more than 70 offices in nearly 40 countries worldwide, as well as an extensive associate network, delivering award-winning campaigns to clients across all sectors and disciplines and with a focus on continued innovation for the industry. Headquartered in New York, the firm is part of WPP, one of the world’s largest communications services groups.
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