OMC Omnicom Group Inc

NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Ketchum, one of the world's leading public relations agencies and PRWeek's Agency of the Year, appointed Julie Ferriot to the newly created position of global director of Ketchum Social Responsibility (KSR). In her new role, Ferriot will expand the firm's robust KSR program, continue to engage employees in volunteerism efforts, and oversee Ketchum's four-year global pro bono partnership with Room to Read.  A global charity dedicated to supporting literacy and gender equality in education, Ketchum has donated more than $1.5 million worth of time to the cause.

"With a goal of being an industry leader in the area of corporate citizenship, we knew we needed someone to align and support the many robust initiatives happening across the agency," said Rob Flaherty, senior partner and CEO. "Julie brings an excellent combination of experience and passion for corporate social responsibility work that inspires participation by our colleagues around the world."

Ferriot's previous role at Ketchum was vice president and management supervisor in the Corporate Practice of Ketchum West's San Francisco office. She counseled clients across many industries on corporate social responsibility and philanthropic engagement and served as Ketchum's liaison with Room to Read.

"I am eager to further engage Ketchum colleagues around the world in our initiatives and to adopt social and environmental policies to create a consistent and collaborative program everywhere," said Ferriot. "I'm also committed to delivering a higher level of communication and understanding of Ketchum's work in this space, so clients, employees and the industry recognize that Ketchum truly leads by example when it comes to corporate social responsibility."

Underscoring its commitment to community service, the agency's global offices recently participated in KSR service days with a particular focus on efforts to promote literacy and education. More than 825 colleagues from 21 of the agency's global offices participated in activities in support of literacy and other worthy causes in cities around the world. For example:

• Ketchum Buenos Aires – Partnered with the U.S. Embassy to sponsor a workshop that taught communication strategies to representatives of more than 90 non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
• Ketchum Beijing – Spent more than three weeks collecting 216 new and used children's books for donation to the Library Project, a U.S.-based organization with offices in China.
• Ketchum Dusseldorf – Raised money for the Pumpkin House, a children's home in India serving approximately 75 children in need, and participated in Run4Ideas, a 6K run through the city that resulted in one euro being donated to one of the race's charitable partners for each kilometer run.
• Ketchum Los Angeles – Restored a Los Angeles schoolyard garden.
• Ketchum London – Donated public relations support for the Tottenham neighborhood's Gladesmore Community School and its release of a song commemorating the 2011 London riots as a way to change the negative image of the community.
• Ketchum Munich – Hosted an in office 'flea market' to benefit Room to Read, raising €1000 for the organization. 
• Ketchum New York – Painted a public high school in partnership with Publicolor, a non-profit organization that combines mentorship programs with the revitalization of public schools and civic spaces.

"I am extremely proud of the work that our colleagues around the world have been doing to give back to their communities and help improve the lives of others. Their work demonstrates the power of communication and business to create a better world," said Flaherty. "I had the privilege of being part of a KSR day in India during my recent trip there, and it drove home for me the importance of our commitment to social responsibility as well as the very special and unique Ketchum culture that spans the globe."

Ketchum also supports other important causes, including the World Economic Forum, for which Ketchum provides a full-time employee at the Forum's Geneva headquarters through a secondment program, and continued support for the U.N. Global Compact, for which Ketchum was the first public relations firm to join and remains an active member. The agency is currently matching employee donations to the Red Cross in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.  Further, Ketchum is in the process of finalizing policy statements that detail its goals in different areas of social and environmental responsibility which will be available later this year. To view Ketchum's latest KSR Report, please visit http://www.ketchum.com/corporate_citizenship.

About Ketchum
Ketchum is a leading global communications firm with operations in more than 70 countries across six continents. Named 2012 PR Agency of the Year (PRWeek) and the winner of an unprecedented three consecutive PRWeek Campaign of the Year Awards, Ketchum partners with clients to deliver strategic programming, game-changing creative and measurable results that build brands and reputations. For more information on Ketchum, a part of Diversified Agency Services, a division of Omnicom Group Inc., visit www.ketchum.com.

About Diversified Agency Services
Diversified Agency Services (DAS), a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE:OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), manages Omnicom's holdings in a variety of marketing communications disciplines. DAS includes over 200 companies, which operate through a combination of networks and regional organizations, serving international and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries.

About Omnicom Group Inc.
Omnicom Group Inc. (www.omnicomgroup.com) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations, and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.

SOURCE Ketchum