Virginia Devlin is Chief Executive Officer of Current Global, a midsized communications agency that is part of the Interpublic Group (IPG). 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.
Virginia has helmed Current for 17 years, and that stability has served as a springboard for continued growth. Professional growth for her team. Practice area growth to service clients across corporate, consumer, healthcare, and technology marketing. Geographic growth spanning North America, LATAM, EMEA, APAC and MENAT. Reputation growth as thought leaders in DEI transformation and accessible communications. And successive financial growth.
Focused on long-term partnerships, Current’s first client – The Clorox Company – remains a client today with Virginia’s active involvement in the business. Work for Clorox brand Kingsford earned a Cannes Lion (2021), with the agency receiving sole creative idea credit, and was PRWeek’s 2022 Campaign of the Year in recognition of its commitment to celebrating, preserving, and advancing Black barbecue in America. Other agency clients include Abbott Labs, BISSELL, FedEx, Microsoft, and Novartis.
With Virginia as its driving force, in 2021, Current launched Accessible by Design, its industry-first commitment ensuring that all communication and content will meet the highest accessibility standards to be inclusive of people with sight, hearing, and cognitive disabilities. Fast Company named it a world changing idea, a first such accolade for a PR agency. She has continued to invest in the offer, seeing through the development of an educational website and hands-on training for marketing professionals looking to upskill teams to deliver disability inclusive and accessible communications.
A frequent speaker on accessible communications, she has helped educate the industry while promoting disability inclusion through fireside chats, panel discussions and webinars for the Female Quotient Equality Lounge at Cannes, Arthur Page Society, Disability:IN, Institute for Public Relations, PR Council, PR Leadership Forum, PRSA College of Fellows, PRWeek, and more.
Virginia has served on the board of PRSA Chicago and PR Council, helping launch the organization’s SHEQUALITY initiative. She is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, which fosters meaningful connections among Chicago leaders to encourage dialogue on important economic and social issues and to cultivate the next generation of civic leadership. Her recognition includes PRSA Chicago Professional of the Year (2022); PRWeek Most Purposeful Agency Professional finalist (2022); PRWeek Hall of Femme/Women of Distinction (2021); Women in Marketing Change Maker Award – Agency (2021); and Gold Stevie Award for Most Innovative Woman of the Year (2020). She has judged the PRWeek Global, U.S., and Purpose Awards, PRovoke SABRE Awards, and Clio Awards.