Ketchum Announces Members of New Break Through Advisory Board

NEW YORK, Sept. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Ketchum, one of the world leaders in communications and public relations, today announced the appointment of 10 members to its first Break Through Advisory Board. The Advisory Board is charged with challenging, provoking and inspiring new ways of doing business, while advising on the latest trends and emerging technology including new content platforms, products and services, collaboration opportunities and thought leadership.

The formation of the board was announced in June to complement the firm's newly created Global Leadership Council (GLC), which is comprised of 20 senior Ketchum leaders responsible for the agency's largest geographies, business units and key client relationships, as well as other areas of high strategic importance to the agency, including its practices and corporate functions. The Advisory Board will work closely with the GLC and the firm's partner group and will report to Ketchum's Chairman and CEO Rob Flaherty.

The 10-member Break Through Advisory Board consists of five women and five men, hailing from seven different offices on four continents:

• Jon Chin, SVP and regional client director, Asia-Pacific, based in Singapore
• Ben Foster, SVP, global strategy and innovation, Ketchum Digital, based in Chicago
• Shawn Ghuman, content executive, healthcare and public & corporate affairs, based in Washington, D.C.
• Marc Levy, SVP, strategic and creative planning, based in New York
• Hayley McLaughlin, senior manager of brand experience, Corporate Communications, based in New York
• Lauren Mundell, SVP and director, New York Food & Wellness Practice, based in New York
• Claudia Mutschlechner, senior account manager, based in Stuttgart
• Rich Pacheco, VP and director of finance, Ketchum Change and Ketchum Global Research & Analytics, based in New York
• Asya Soskova, director of organizational development, based in Moscow
• Adriana Toledo, brand marketing practice leader, based in São Paulo

Advisory Board members will be asked to both tackle specific issues raised by leadership and generate ideas to address immediate and future needs and opportunities. Members of the board were selected from all levels and areas of the agency through an open application process. 

"Every day I am impressed by the ideas being generated across all levels at Ketchum to help our clients break through in the marketplace and to propel the agency forward," said Flaherty. "When we launched the Global Leadership Council, I wanted to uncover our brand enthusiasts, our entrepreneurs and our disruptors to ensure we tap into the energy that pulses throughout the agency so we can bring our best to our colleagues, our clients and the industry. The sheer number and quality of applications for the Break Through Advisory Board underscored for me that our future is in good hands."

In recent years, Ketchum has introduced a number of innovative programs that have been largely inspired and created by the firm's employees, including Spark Tank, a program offering employees an opportunity to pitch their agency-related ideas, and LaunchPad, a unique, gamified recruiting tool that emerged as a Spark Tank idea and was piloted in early 2016. Other noteworthy employee programs include the Global Scholars talent exchange program and award-winning training curriculum like Camp Ketchum, the Race to Make it Real, and the Race in Real Time.

Flaherty added, "Ketchum has embarked on a year of tremendous transformation in 2016, having named a new worldwide president, a chief operating officer in Europe, and a new CEO across all of our German offices. Now as we elevate even more diverse voices across our network and at all levels, I am eager to see these individuals contribute new thinking and help us develop innovative ways to better serve our clients."

About Ketchum
Ketchum is a leading global communications firm with operations in more than 70 countries across six continents. The winner of 19 Cannes Lions and an unprecedented five PRWeek Campaign of the Year Awards, Ketchum partners with clients to deliver strategic programming, game-changing creative and measurable results that build brands and reputations. For more information on Ketchum, a part of the DAS Group of Companies, visit www.ketchum.com.

About Omnicom Public Relations Group
Omnicom Public Relations Group is a global collective of three of the top global public relations agencies worldwide and specialist agencies in public affairs, marketing to women, fashion, global health strategy and corporate social responsibility. It encompasses more than 6,000 public relations professionals in more than 330 offices worldwide who provide their expertise to companies, government agencies, NGOs and nonprofits across a wide range of industries. Omnicom Public Relations Group delivers for clients through a relentless focus on talent, continuous pursuit of innovation and a culture steeped in collaboration. Omnicom Public Relations Group is part of the DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. that includes more than 200 companies in a wide range of marketing disciplines including advertising, public relations, healthcare, customer relationship management, events, promotional marketing, branding and research.

SOURCE Ketchum

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