NEW YORK—DeVries Global has appointed Heidi Hovland as its new global chief executive.

Hovland is the fourth CEO in the agency’s 36 year history and the third woman to hold the post, continuing the legacy of founder Madeline DeVries.

Hovland previously served as deputy general manager of FleishmanHillard New York, where she led the agency’s consumer products sector globally and co-founded its marketing to moms practice group.

In this new role, Hovland will be tasked with growing DeVries Global’s creative offerings and building on its position as a leading international consumer agency, following an aggressive international expansion in recent years.

In her time at FleishmanHillard, Hovland worked companies including Chobani, Samsung, CitiBank, Carnival Cruise Lines, Global Hyatt Corporation and PepsiCo.

She led the team that launched Chobani in the United States, and led brand strategy and message development for Barnes & Noble’s entry into digital reading with Nook. 


Jim Allman will continue to serve as chairman of the firm.