Ken Luce named as Hill & Knowlton global COO

Posted to the Holmes Report here

Former Weber Shandwick veteran Ken Luce has been named as Hill & Knowlton’s new global COO, following the high-profile resignations of global CEO Paul Taaffe and US chairman Marylee Sachs.

Luce is the first major hire by new H&K global CEO Jack Martin, whose public affairs agency PSI merged with its WPP sibling in November 2010.

Luce, who spent 14 years in a variety of senior roles at Weber Shandwick, is expected to bring a particular focus to the management and expansion of H&K’s global client relationships – a role he performed with distinction at his former firm. He reports to Martin, and will be largely based at the firm’s New York HQ.

Deconstructing the departures at Hill & Knowlton

For Paul Holmes’ analysis of the changes at H&K, and an exclusive interview with new CEO Jack Martin, click here

Nothing sparks speculation quite like a spate of agency departures. So the resignations of Hill & Knowlton global CEO Paul Taaffe, US chairman Marylee Sachs and global CMO Tony Burgess-Webb this week have raised plenty of eyebrows in the PR world.

Those familiar with the situation are likely to be less surprised, particularly after the agency merged with sister WPP public affairs firm Public Strategies (PSI) in late 2010.

The PSI merger, on paper, makes plenty of sense. For many years now, H&K has been trying to kickstart growth of its US operation, which is smaller than many of its key global network rivals. To fully understand the deal, it is tempting to turn the clock back to 2006, when Mark Penn took over Burson-Marsteller.

Paul Taaffe to depart Hill & Knowlton

Posted to the Holmes Report here

Paul Taaffe has quit his role as global CEO of Hill & Knowlton, after 18 years with the WPP agency.

Taaffe, who became global CEO in 2002, becomes the third long-term veteran of the agency to resign within a week, following the merger between H&K and sister WPP public affairs agency Public Strategies (PSI) in November 2010.

That merger installed PSI founder and chairman Jack Martin as global executive chairman of Hill & Knowlton; Martin now takes on global CEO duties with immediate effect.