PR Masters Podcast Series Episode #103 - Peter Finn
At a moment when the communications industry is facing real disruption, Peter Finn brings something increasingly rare: perspective. In this special episode of the PR Masters Podcast Series, Peter joins CommPRO Publisher Fay Shapiro for an honest, thoughtful conversation about leadership, purpose and building an agency that lasts.
Peter is the founder and CEO of FINN Partners, the global communications firm he launched in 2011 after serving as co-CEO of an iconic PR agency. From day one, FINN Partners was built on the idea that an agency could be both high-performing and values-driven, and that doing the right thing for people, clients and communities ultimately strengthens the business. Nearly 15 years later, that belief has helped shape a firm of roughly 1,300 employees across about 35 offices worldwide.
In this episode, Peter reflects on why independence matters, especially as consolidation and layoffs continue to reshape the industry. He talks candidly about the pressure facing holding company agencies, the challenges young professionals encounter when trying to break into the business and why independent firms may offer a steadier path forward right now.
Purpose is a central theme throughout the conversation, not as a trend but as a long-term commitment. Peter shares how values guide decisions at FINN Partners, from client selection to growth strategy, and why the firm has walked away from opportunities that didn’t align with its core principles.
The discussion also turns to AI and how FINN Partners is approaching it as a tool to help people work smarter and more efficiently, not as a replacement for judgment or creativity. Peter is clear that technology can support great work, but people remain at the center.
Listeners also hear about Peter’s deep personal commitment to community and the arts through the Catskill Mountain Foundation, a nonprofit he and his wife founded that has helped transform a rural community in upstate New York.
Our conversation with Peter is a reminder that leadership grounded in purpose, patience and care for people still matters and that building something meaningful takes time.
