Month: May 2026

TrailRunner International Earns PRSA Award of Excellence

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TrailRunner International (TRI) has been recognized with a PRSA Silver Anvil Award of Excellence for Integrated Communications in the Consumer Services category for its work with Charles Schwab on National Investing Day 2025.

Silver Anvil Awards celebrate the best strategic public relations campaigns of the year, as well as outstanding organizational excellence. This is TRI’s first year receiving the prestigious award from PRSA.

This recognition marks a meaningful milestone for the firm. Launched in May 2025, National Investing Day was Schwab’s inaugural campaign. In partnership with Schwab, Ruth Communications, and TRI’s internal team, the effort delivered an integrated campaign that resonated with audiences.

PPHC Announces Q1 2026 Financial Results

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Strong Revenue Growth Demonstrating Success of Company Strategy

  • Revenue growth of 27.5% with organic revenue growth of 5.1% compared to Q1 2025
  • Completed significant talent additions, and announced an acquisition which closed in Q2 2026
  • PPHC added to Russell 2000® and Russell 3000® Indices as of March 23, 2026
  • Net Debt reduced to $1.8 million following U.S. IPO

Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, Adjusted EBITDA Incl. M&A expense, Adjusted net income, Adjusted EPS, fully diluted, Organic Revenue Growth and Adjusted Free Cash Flow, are non-GAAP financial measures, as defined and reconciled to the nearest related GAAP measure below.

Stewart Hall, CEO of PPHC, commented:

“PPHC delivered its strongest quarter to date for both revenue and Adjusted EBITDA, reflecting continued organic growth and the accelerating contribution from recent acquisitions. Our strategy remains focused on building a differentiated group of companies with complementary capabilities, expanded geographic reach, and strong intercompany synergies, while maintaining the financial flexibility to pursue additional M&A and strategic hires.

The U.S. listing has further increased PPHC’s visibility and strengthened our pipeline of opportunities, both for acquisitions and senior talent. In a complex political, regulatory, and reputational environment, clients are increasingly seeking integrated counsel across multiple spheres of influence, and we believe PPHC is uniquely positioned to meet that need. I want to thank our people across the Group for their continued commitment to our clients and to the long-term growth of PPHC.”

Roel Smits, CFO of PPHC, Commentary and Financial Guidance:

“With the completion of our January capital raise and U.S. IPO, PPHC has entered the next phase of growth from a position of strength. Our balance sheet flexibility allows us to pursue earnings-accretive acquisitions while our strong cashflow allows us to continue investing in organic growth initiatives. Momentum in Q4 and now also Q1 has set us up well for a successful 2026.

In general, PPHC expects to continue growing revenue at an average organic rate of approximately 5%, and that this will be supplemented by acquisitions. For 2026, we anticipate reported revenue in the range between $205 million and $209 million. While we continue to target Adjusted EBITDA at a margin around 25%, based on our current business mix and ambitions, in 2026 we will experience the impact from assuming U.S. public company costs and certain technology investments and therefore we anticipate Adjusted EBITDA in a range between $46 million and $48 million, reflecting an adjusted margin between 22% and 23%. The guidance above excludes the impact of any future acquisitions.

Our focus continues to be on driving client retention rates, new business generation, and the continued cross-selling of services across the member companies to support organic growth prospects, with each of these factors impacting our organic growth result.

The market for Strategic Communications services in key geographies remains fragmented. Management continues to view the Group as a natural consolidator, and the pipeline of acquisition opportunities under development in the U.S., U.K., and mainland Europe remains robust. The Group is actively seeking to expand its portfolio of member companies with strategically and financially attractive opportunities while adding complementary specializations.”

Operational Highlights

  • Significant progress in line with the Group’s stated growth strategy, with earnings accretive acquisitions providing an enhanced complementary range of services to the Group’s international client base:
    • Organically, the Group recorded 5.1% growth in revenue for Q1 2026 year-on-year which represents a step-up from the 4.7% growth in Q1 2025, attributable to increases across our three segments.
    • Announced the acquisition of WPI Strategy and made other significant hires across the group, expanding group-wide capabilities in Corporate Communications and providing cross-referral revenue opportunities.
    • Revenue remained diversified with the top 10 Group clients representing 8.0% of revenue in Q1 2026 versus 9.0% in Q1 2025; and revenue mix by segment was further diversified with the Corporate Communications & Public Affairs segment, our second largest reporting segment, growing to represent 36.5% of total revenue in Q1 2026 (Q1 2025: 25.5%).
    • The Group ended Q1 2026 with a client base of approximately 1,500, with representations of approximately a quarter of the Fortune 100 in addition to many more via trade associations, underlining that our retention rates remain high.

First Quarter 2026 Segment Results

  • Government Relations Consulting grew at 8.4% for Q1 2026, as compared to Q1 2025 as a consequence of continued organic growth of 5.2% in tandem with the acquisition of Pine Cove Strategies, LLC (“Pine Cove”) (2025 Q3). The margin of Segment Adjusted pre-bonus EBITDA remained relatively stable at 45.5%, reflecting the stable pricing of retainer contracts both at U.S. Federal and State level.
  • Corporate Communications & Public Affairs Consulting increased by 82.7% for Q1 2026, as compared to Q1 2025 as a consequence of continued strong organic growth of 3.3%, in tandem with the acquisition of TrailRunner International, LLC (“TrailRunner”) (2025 Q2). The margin of Segment Adjusted pre-bonus EBITDA increased significantly from 22.4% in Q1 2025 to 26.2% in Q1 2026, reflecting the operating leverage effects of realizing higher revenues, although still operating at margins that are lower than the Group’s average.
  • Compliance and Insights Services continued its strong growth at 10.8% for Q1 2026, as compared to Q1 2025 (reported and organic) as a result of high renewal rates, price increases, and new client wins, all together reflective of a unique and high value-added offering. The margin of Segment Adjusted pre-bonus EBITDA further improved to 50.2%, reflecting the strong pricing of subscription contracts in this area, in combination with the increased use of technology in servicing our clients.

The full press release is available on PPHC’s Investor Site.

PPHC Expands MultiState Associates’ Stakeholder Engagement Capabilities

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WASHINGTON, May 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Public Policy Holding Company, Inc. (“PPHC” or “the Company”) (NASDAQ: PPHC), a leading global strategic communications provider, today announced that MultiState, a PPHC subsidiary providing state-level government relations, has hired Lee Cowen and Nicholas Evans, specialists in federal, state, and local government relations, through the acquisition of the assets of their respective management companies Cowen Consulting, LLC and Putnam Strategies, LLC. 

The acqui-hire additions significantly expand MultiState’s stakeholder engagement practice, which works with political organizations including governors’ associations (NGA, RGA, DGA), attorney general groups (NAAG, RAGA, DAGA), and other state-level (political and policy) organizations. With the addition of Lee Cowen and Nicholas Evans, MultiState’s dedicated stakeholder engagement team continues its growth, complementing a broader group of MultiState staff who engage in stakeholder work across their portfolios.

MultiState established its stakeholder engagement practice over the past three years under the leadership of Maggie Mick, who previously served as Chief Advancement Officer at the Council of State Governments. The hiring of Lee Cowen and Nicholas Evans accelerates the growth of the practice and positions the firm to better serve large clients who require sophisticated multistate strategies.

Lee Cowen and Nicholas Evans bring an established client roster of major national companies and organizations. They have built trusted relationships over decades in state government affairs, and their clients represent strong candidates for MultiState’s broader suite of services, including issue management and lobbying compliance.

Stewart Hall, CEO of PPHC, commented:

“MultiState has built something unique and distinctive in the state government affairs market, and stakeholder engagement is a natural extension of that offering. Lee and Nicholas are highly experienced and well-regarded professionals with strong client relationships, and we see real opportunity to offer those clients the full breadth of MultiState’s and PPHC’s capabilities.”

Joe Crosby, CEO of MultiState Associates, commented:

“Lee and Nicholas are exactly the kind of people anyone would want on their team. They have been incredibly successful on their own yet recognize the additional value we collectively will bring to our clients. We’ve made significant investments in building our Stakeholder Engagement practice, guided by Maggie Mick and supported by our deeply experienced team — making this the perfect time for Lee and Nicholas to join us. Several of us have known Lee and Nicholas for decades; they are genuinely good people and extraordinary professionals who will accelerate our growth.”

Lee Cowen, Founder of Cowen Consulting, commented:

“Nicholas and I are thrilled to be joining MultiState and the entire PPHC family. We have known the MultiState folks for decades, and we’re excited to be able to enhance their stakeholder engagement practice while also being able to offer our current – and future – clients more of the complimentary services provided by MultiState and the PPHC team. With increased focus on the state policy front, we became convinced that a more comprehensive suite of services – such as issues management, compliance, research, etc. – is necessary for businesses and associations as they work with state governments to achieve their policy goals. For Nicholas and me, MultiState was the obvious choice when looking for the right teammates.”

About MultiState Associates

MultiState Associates is a PPHC subsidiary providing state-level government relations, issue management, regulatory tracking, and lobbying compliance services. MultiState helps companies and trade associations navigate the multistate policy landscape through a combination of strategic advisory, technology-enabled monitoring, and direct stakeholder engagement.