The Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee (LAOOC) tasked Burson-Marsteller, the public relations agency of AT&T, with the organisation of the relay.
In 1984 Bob Schmetterer became President and Chief Executive Officer of an international joint venture with Young & Rubicam of New York and Eurocom S.A. of Paris, France: HCM Advertising Worldwide (Havas Conseil Marsteller).
His previous positions include head of public relations at Coca-Cola Norway, communication consultant at JKL Oslo and Burson-Marsteller as well as media relations officer at NATO headquarters in Stavanger.
Some of the modern era's larger international agencies like Edelman, Hill & Knowlton and Burson-Marsteller were founded and began competing internationally.