Ketchum Midwest

Ron Culp Named Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Ketchum Midwest   
  

New York, Sept. 11, 2006 - Ketchum, a leading public relations firm, announced the appointment of Ron Culp as Senior Vice President and Managing Director of its Midwest operations, composed of offices in Chicago and Pittsburgh, effective Sept. 18. He also will serve as a global corporate strategist in the agency’s Global Corporate Practice. Culp, who joins Ketchum from Citigate Sard Verbinnen and was previously at Sears, Roebuck and Co., succeeds J. Adaire Putnam, Partner and Director, Ketchum Midwest, who has made a personal decision to leave Ketchum at the end of the year. 

                      

“Ron is an industry leader who’s passionate about nurturing long-term client relationships and energized by helping grow people’s careers and running a successful business. We look forward to having him join Ketchum,” said Raymond L. Kotcher, Senior Partner and Chief Executive Officer, Ketchum. “We also thank Adaire for her many contributions. She joined Ketchum in 2001 as part of our acquisition of Corporate Technology Communications and became director of the Chicago office in 2003. During that time Adaire was instrumental in enhancing service to our clients and building a solid team in Chicago.”

 

Culp’s 30-year career spans a broad range of communications activities in government and the business-to-business, consumer products, pharmaceutical and retailing industries. He is Vice Chair of the Economic Club of Chicago and is a former trustee of the Arthur W. Page Society. Most recently, at Citigate Sard Verbinnen, Culp was Managing Director/Chairman, Chicago, where he established that agency''s rapidly growing Chicago office. 

 

“Ketchum provides a unique career opportunity that will allow me to work with a hugely talented group of individuals engaged in creating and executing a broad range of public relations programs for their clients,” said Culp. “I have long admired the Ketchum culture and am now honored to be a part of it.”

 

Previously, Culp was Senior Vice President, Public Relations, Government Affairs, Communications and Community Relations, for Sears, Roebuck and Co. During a 10-year career at Sears, Culp managed internal and external communications, marketing and public relations support, state and federal government affairs, and community relations, including the Sears Roebuck Foundation. He also held senior communications positions at Sara Lee Corporation, Pitney Bowes Inc. and Eli Lilly and Co.

                        

Culp holds a Bachelor of Science degree in political science and journalism from Indiana State University.

 

In another related personnel development, Ted McDougal was appointed Senior Vice President and Director of Ketchum Midwest’s Corporate Practice. McDougal has 27 years of communication experience with a strong understanding of corporate branding in the retail and financial-services sectors, and has extensive experience in crisis communications, change management and mergers and acquisitions.

 

He joins Ketchum from Sears Holdings Corp., a combination of Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Holding Corp. As Vice President, Public Relations, for Sears Holdings, he directed corporate and financial public relations, including marketing communications, media relations, internal communications and community-relations programs for the company. 

 

McDougal began his corporate career with Continental Bank Corp., where he spent 14 years directing the company’s integrated corporate and marketing communications program before its acquisition by Bank of America.

 

“We are confident that Ron and Ted – who worked closely together at Sears – will bring a continued high level of client service and great mentoring skills to the Midwest and Ketchum overall,” said Lorraine Thelian, Senior Partner, North America, Ketchum.

 

 

An innovator in communication since 1923, Ketchum delivers seamless service around the globe through its 23 offices and 47 affiliates in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. With its five global practices, Brand Marketing, Corporate Communications (including change management), Healthcare, Food and Nutrition, and Technology, Ketchum offers clients a unique breadth and depth of marketing and corporate communications expertise. A leading global public relations firm and the PRWeek 2002 Agency of the Year, Ketchum is a unit of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC; www.omnicomgroup.com). Additional information on Ketchum, its award-winning work, and past news releases can be found at www.ketchum.com.