In Memoriam: Farewell to Howard Paster — a great leader and great friend
11 August 2011
Posted in
Press Releases
Howard Paster
1944-2011
From Jack Martin
Global Chairman and CEO
Hill & Knowlton
We have lost a dear friend – Howard Paster passed away Wednesday, Aug. 10, at the age of 66.
Howard served as Chairman and CEO of Hill &Knowlton from 1994 to 2002. Prior to joining H&K in 1994, he served as assistant to President Bill Clinton and was director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. Up until his death, Howard was responsible for all of the WPP PR agencies, including Hill & Knowlton.
A former UAW and government lobbyist, Howard was tough and firm, but at the same time was fair and compassionate. He was that rare mix of administrative efficiency and strategic brilliance. No office or client was too far away and his kind touch was felt by employees all over the H&K network.
Howard was a friend of mine for over 25 years. He played a big role in my decision to sell my company, Public Strategies, to WPP and he also played a major role in my coming to H&K.
More importantly, he was one of the finest men I’ve ever met. I used to always tell Howard that he was one of those people in my life that I would have felt comfortable playing poker with over the telephone. His integrity, compassion and deep love of his family were inspirations to all of us. I will miss him as my friend and my colleague, and I believe that we are all better off for having known him.
Funeral arrangements are pending. Please keep Howard and his loving family in your thoughts and prayers.
Remembrances
Mark Thorne, Worldwide Chief Financial Officer
While volumes could be written on Howard’s corporate, political and personal successes, it all pales in comparison to the friendship and guidance he gave to so many of us. Howard was my boss, my mentor and most importantly my friend. I will miss him dearly. We are all lucky to have known and learned from him, and for those of you who joined recently, you are the beneficiaries of a truly great leader in Hill & Knowlton history.
Tom Hoog, Vice Chairman
Words are supposed to come easy to people in the Public Relations business. But there are no words that properly convey the sadness that I personally feel today in the loss of a dear friend, a political colleague and a business colleague.
Our friend Howard Paster passed away this morning, and for those of us who had the opportunity to know and to work with him, the loss is deep. For those of you who did not have that opportunity, allow me please to share just a small part of Howard’s many contributions.
Howard G. Paster, a veteran Washington lobbyist and political strategist, became Chairman and CEO of Hill and Knowlton in 1994. He achieved distinction in the public affairs realm for overseeing a dramatic turnaround at one of the world’s largest communications consulting firms.
Howard came to Hill and Knowlton from the Clinton administration where, as a director of the White House office administrative liaison and the President’s chief lobbyist on Capitol Hill, he had succeeded in winning congressional approval of many dramatic measures.
Engineering the turnaround at H&K posed a corporate challenge every bit as complex as the political throes Howard had known on Capitol Hill. With its morale shaken, the firm needed more than the routine corporate steps of cost-cutting and talent development. He knew corporate culture was required, and embodying a theory that later H&K would impress on its corporate clients, (the theory of the CEO as standard-bearer) Howard knew that integrity had to be authentic and had to flow from the top down.
Howard propelled his cradle both internally through the management ranks and externally to steady reputation building initiatives. His willpower and perseverance ensured that the firm again earned public recognition for having the highest standards of integrity. Howard not only set the standard in those above mentioned matters but he set the standard in being a husband, father, and grandfather. His memory should be an example to all of us to live every day to the fullest and to be the best that we can be in everything we attempt.
Secretary Norman Mineta, Vice Chairman
Howard Paster had a great analytical mind. No matter what job he had, whether it was as a key advisor to a United States Senator, or union official, or head of Congressional Relations for President Clinton or as a business executive with Hill & Knowlton and then with WPP, he could cut through the cloud, get to the core of an issue, dissect the subject matter and give his thoughts in an orderly, logical manner. Having known him since 1975, when I was elected to the Congress, Howard provided his counsel, advice and, most importantly, his friendship over all these years and I was forever impacted by him. Anyone who has ever worked with Howard will be eternally grateful for how he touched all of our lives.
Vivian Lines, Vice Chairman
Howard was a mentor to so many people at Hill & Knowlton. I consider myself immensely fortunate to have been one of those people and to have benefited over the years from his great insight, wisdom and advice. His passing is a deep loss for so many, but he leaves a generation of PR practitioners that have been shaped by his influence.