As Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Ketchum, Rob Lorfink is responsible for aligning the agency’s financial function with its overall business strategy. He oversees Ketchum’s worldwide finance organization, including the controller and treasury functions, planning and forecasting, capital investments, acquisitions, taxes, and real estate. In addition, Rob oversees Ketchum’s legal function and information technology strategy, which are integrated throughout the agency’s operations and services. A Senior Partner, Rob also serves on the agency’s 10-member Executive Committee.
Since joining Ketchum in 2003, Rob has helped lead the agency to consecutive years of significantly improved profits, cash flow and profit margin. He also has helped Ketchum expand its breadth and depth of services through assisting in the development of three specialized communications businesses: Emanate, a second independent PR network launched in 2006; Zócalo Group, a word-of-mouth marketing agency created in 2007; and MMG, a clinical trial and recruitment agency added in 2008.
Rob joined Ketchum from Omnicom Group’s Diversified Agency Services (DAS) division, the corporate unit of which Ketchum is a part. Rob joined DAS in 1999 and from 2001 to 2003 held the position of Vice President of Finance and Operations, in which he was responsible for overseeing all of the financial activities and operations in healthcare, sales promotions and specialty advertising agencies. Prior to this role, he served as Senior Manager of Finance for DAS. In that post, he helped manage the streamlining and establishment of a “Best Financial Practices” function for DAS, and performed the cash management role as well.
Before coming to Omnicom, Rob built a career focused in financial management for a global public relations organization through a number of executive positions at Weber Shandwick. During an eight-year tenure there, he served in roles that included North American CFO, U.S. CFO and Chief Operating Officer for New York, as well as several senior controller and accountant positions.
Rob graduated from St. Peter’s College with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting. In 2007, he was chosen by PRWeek for the magazine’s “40 Under 40” award and was the only non-PR professional selected to the list, which recognized 40 PR leaders under the age of 40 who have excelled in innovating, growing existing business and inspiring colleagues.
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