CHICAGO, USA // Virginia Devlin is Chief Executive Officer of Current Global, a midsized communications agency that is part of the Interpublic Group. Current is focused on influencing behavior where real life happens – in the moment. For clients, that means forging meaningful connections to powerful moments in people’s lives to create lasting outcomes.
An ace at operations and hands-on leader, Virginia has achieved 13 years of profitable growth for Current. Today, the agency boasts more than 200 team members in 30 offices around the world, with major operations in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Brazil, China and India. Focused on establishing long-term partnerships, her first client assignment for The Clorox Company in 2006 has grown into ongoing and award-winning work for brands including Brita, Hidden Valley and Kingsford. With expertise in consumer, corporate, healthcare and technology marketing, Current’s client roster includes Activision, Applebee’s, Cartier, Diageo, Illumina, Microsoft, Omni Hotels & Resorts, Samsung, Seagate, TE Connectivity and Twitter.
An active client counselor and employee mentor, Virginia thrives on challenging both sides of her brain to develop results-driven campaigns that combine business strategy with creative savvy. Her leadership helped Current win nine Cannes Lions, including a Gold PR Lion for Teddy Gun, a pro bono campaign for the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence.
Prior to launching Current, Virginia spent nine years at IPG agency Weber Shandwick, rising to the rank of executive vice president. There she demonstrated a talent for winning new business, driving organic growth and mentoring teams. Earlier in her career, she was an account supervisor for Publicis in both Chicago and Seattle, where she created and executed marketing programs for commodity and consumer packaged goods accounts.
A 2017 PRWeek Champion of PR and 2014 PR News Top Women in PR Award honoree, Virginia earned a bachelor degree in journalism from Northern Illinois University and completed additional public relations studies at the University of Washington. She served on the board of the PR Council, the US trade association for public relations firms, and has judged various industry award competitions including the CLIO, PRWeek and SABRE North America awards.
Virginia serves on the board of the Ryan Banks Academy, whose mission is to build Chicago’s first residential school for underserved urban youth, functioning as Chief Marketing Officer. She is an active supporter of WE.org, a charity and educational partner that believes in a world where all children are free to achieve their fullest potential. She lives in Chicago with her husband and daughter.