Ray Kotcher, a longtime senior partner and 12-year CEO of Ketchum, is stepping down from the the executive ranks this week, capping a 32-year career at the agency.
The Omnicom-owned firm said Kotcher, who relinquished the CEO reins to Rob Flaherty in 2012 and became chairman, will move to a non-executive chairman role as a consultant to Ketchum and its Omnicom Diversified Agency Services parent.
Kotcher, who oversaw a period of exponential growth at the firm, particularly overseas, is in talks to join the faculty of Boston University's College of Communication as a professor. "It has been a privilege to serve our people, clients and agency and I look forward to what is to come," he said.
Kotcher's tenure saw the firm grow from a dozen overseas offices to operate in 74 countries as staff grew from 1,500 to 2,500, including the 2009 mega-merger with Europe's Pleon. A respected industry figure who led the Council of PR Firms from 2008-09, joined the firm in 1983, moved up to president in 1992, and CEO in 2000.
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