Longtime Democratic Strategist Joins to Help Clients Navigate D.C. Policy Changes WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Ketchum announced today that Donald J. Foley, a longtime Democratic strategist known on the national stage, will join the agency's Washington office as director, North American Public Affairs. Foley will begin on Dec. 1. Ray Kotcher, senior partner and CEO, said, "We could not be more pleased to have Don join Ketchum, particularly at a time when we anticipate significant policy change in Washington, D.C. He brings a rich and extraordinary background of government, corporate and agency experience to our clients in our Washington office, and his presence also will benefit our clients throughout the U.S. and around the world." Lorraine Thelian, senior partner, North America, said, "Don brings exactly the kind of leadership qualities in client counsel and knowledge of Washington that we are looking for. I know he will also be helpful as we continue to recruit additional staff in Public Affairs to address growing client needs." Foley said, "This is an ideal moment and opportunity for me. I look forward to building on Ketchum's current base of national and global Public Affairs clients in energy, financial services, health and other sectors, particularly with Ketchum's extraordinary global footprint and resources." A veteran communicator, Foley has a wide range of public affairs agency and political and public affairs campaign experience, including managing director of Powell Tate/Weber Shandwick Public Affairs and founding partner of Prism Public Affairs and the Seattle-based public affairs agency Gogerty Marriott. His expertise includes crisis communications and media training, and he has served clients in sectors as diverse as aviation, defense and wind energy. Foley also brings expertise in crisis management and media training for high-profile media and congressional appearances. In addition, Foley served as vice president, worldwide communications, at Northwest Airlines, convention manager for the 1996 Democratic National Convention, and Executive Director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. He has more than 20 years of experience on Capitol Hill and served as chief adviser to Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and former Representative Dick Gephardt (D-MO). Ketchum Washington's Public Affairs group has won PRWeek's Public Affairs Campaign of the Year for three of the last five years, and, earlier this year, in Europe, Ketchum merged with Pleon, Europe's largest strategic communications consultancy, with a deep public affairs platform. In a related move, Pleon's Cornelius Winter was recently named to lead the agency's European Public Affairs network, based in Berlin, Germany. In that role, Winter will be working most closely with colleagues in London, Brussels, Madrid, Rome and Paris, as well as with Foley and the agency's Washington office. The agency's European offices will operate under the name Ketchum Pleon beginning Jan. 1, 2010. Winter has been with Pleon for more than eight years, leading the consultancy's Berlin and Brussels offices as managing partner. Prior to that, Winter was editor of the German national radio station Deutschland Radio. He also worked as a strategist on environmental and health issues, as well as on foreign and security policy issues for members of the European Parliament and the German Parliament (Bundestag). About Ketchum A communications innovator, Ketchum ranks among the largest global communications consultancies and leads the industry in the U.K. and continental Europe as Ketchum Pleon. With five global practices -- Brand Marketing, Corporate, Healthcare, Food and Nutrition, and Technology -- and specialty capabilities that include Access Communications (high- and consumer-tech PR), Concentric Communications (experiential marketing, events and meetings), MMG (clinical trial recruitment), Ketchum Global Research Network, Ketchum Sports and Entertainment, and Stromberg Consulting (change management and workplace communications), Ketchum leverages its marketing and corporate communication expertise to build brands and reputations for clients. In 2009, Advertising Age named Ketchum to its annual "Ones to Watch" Agency A-List, noting the agency's long-standing client partnerships, digital and disruptive media expertise, and CSR and sustainability programming. For more information on Ketchum, a unit of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC), visit http://www.ketchum.com/. About Ketchum Pleon Ketchum Pleon is the leading communications consultancy in Europe. For more information, visit http://www.ketchumpleonmerge.com/. DATASOURCE: Ketchum CONTACT: Robyn Massey, Ketchum Pleon, +44-(0)207-611-3658, , or Matt Stearns, Ketchum, +1-202-835-8885, Web Site: http://www.ketchum.com/

Copyright