The Communications Group has announced an ownership transition. The agency is now jointly owned by longtime shareholders Dane Cowling, co-founder and creative director, and Lisa Van Hook, MA, APR, agency president, according to a press release.
The ownership change is part of a succession plan built around co-founder and chairman Dan Cowling III, Dane’s brother, who is retiring from agency ownership in May.
“Few agencies have the opportunity to successfully navigate a transition like this while remaining independent and founder-led,” Dane Cowling said. “What makes this moment special is that we’re not changing who we are. We’re continuing a story that began nearly 40 years ago with an entrepreneurial vision and a belief that strategic communications can create meaningful value for our clients.”
Van Hook, recently named a ‘Top Woman in PR’ by PRNews, has been part of the ComGroup story for nearly three decades. She joined the agency in the late 1990s to help launch the Arkansas ARKids First program and has since helped lead the agency through significant growth, industry transformation and expansion of its integrated service offerings.
“It is an incredible privilege to build on the foundation Dan, Dane and the agency’s founders created,” she said. “ComGroup has never stood still. Throughout our history, we’ve adapted to new technologies, changing markets and evolving client needs while staying true to the principles that have guided us since 1987. This ownership change represents continuity, planning, and a renewed commitment to working in partnership with our clients to help them navigate increasingly complex business environments.”
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