Ketchum promotes Stephen Waddington to chief engagement officer

Ketchum has announced that its European digital director Stephen Waddington has been promoted to the newly-created position of chief engagement officer.

Mr Waddington will begin this role immediately and will report to David Gallagher, a senior partner and chief executive of the European branch of the firm.

As chief engagement officer, Mr Waddington will drive the integration and innovation of digital and social capabilities throughout the Ketchum network.

He will pay particular attention to accelerating the implementation of cutting-edge digital and social media strategy in existing relationships with clients and will act as an agent for change, an ambassador for the firm and a thought leader in engagement and PR practice.

Commenting on the promotion, Rob Flaherty, senior partner, chief executive officer and president of Ketchum, said: "Stephen is one of the world's most respected digital and social leaders, so I'm delighted he'll be driving forward a unified approach to social and digital across all of our offices."

He added that the new role was incredibly important as all of the firm's clients are at different stages of a journey, from using digital as a channel to building fully social businesses.

Reflecting on his promotion, Mr Waddington said that Ketchum has given him a fantastic opportunity to take on a global position.