Ketchum public relations has announced its leadership transition with Senior Partner and President, Rob Flaherty to become Chief Executive Officer, and Raymond L. Kotcher, Senior Partner and CEO, named new Ketchum Chairman. This transition is part of a multi-year plan to ensure seamless management shifts.
Flaherty shares his enthusiasm and goals for his new appointment: “I am motivated to maintain the successful course that Ray and our leadership team have charted. I plan to focus on priorities such as bringing broad global perspective to the agency’s leadership team and continuing to innovate with an agile approach to identifying and introducing new products and services that help clients seize timely opportunities.”
As CEO, Kotcher lead many efforts to enhance the firm. In 2009 Kotcher organized a noted merger with Ketchum and Pleon to create a leading communications consultancy in Europe. Kotcher also helped expand Ketchum’s international client-service in developing markets through acquisitions in China, India and Russia and a joint venture in the Middle East. As CEO, Kotcher also diversified Ketchum’s offerings in change management, sports and entertainment, and word-of-mouth marketing.
Kotcher shares his pride for the new role: “I am privileged to have served as Ketchum’s CEO through more than a decade of extraordinary change and opportunity in the communications industry. By all measures, we have just completed the most successful year in our history culminating in Ketchum receiving many of the industry’s most prestigious awards for our client work and for the firm itself. It is deeply gratifying.”