Ann Wool Promoted to Partner, President of Ketchum Sports & Entertainment

NEW YORK and LONDON, Oct. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Global public relations firm Ketchum announced today that Ann Wool, partner and director of Ketchum Sports & Entertainment (KSE), has been promoted to president of the expanding global unit. In a related move, KSE formalized a hub in London to serve as the European center of excellence for sports and entertainment.

One of the strongest-performing specialties within Ketchum, KSE connects brands and clients to the latest pop culture trends and builds relationships with sports and entertainment properties. In the past two years, KSE has introduced several new offerings including Ketchum Sounds, which focuses on music marketing; Behind the Scenes, which develops branded film and video content; and, Screen Grabbers, a recently launched offering that connects clients with the new crop of social media celebrities.   

Commenting on Wool's promotion, Rob Flaherty, senior partner, CEO and president of Ketchum, said, "As our clients leverage global sports and entertainment sponsorships and invest more in content, we are expanding our resources to meet their needs. The innovation coming out of KSE around sports, music, branded film and video, content and celebrities in social media is in demand in all parts of the world, and Ann has shown her ability to attract talent to deliver break-through results." 

KSE recently has been responsible for leading campaigns at high-profile sporting events including the Summer and Winter Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup. Recent client work includes the award-winning program to save wrestling at the 2016 Olympic Games, which won numerous awards including a Grand Sports CLIO, Bronze CLIO, a Bronze Cannes PR Lion and a PRSA Silver Anvil.

Describing the new KSE hub in Europe, Denise Kaufmann, partner and CEO of Ketchum London, said, "Ketchum's London office serves as the base for some of our largest global clients and for strong regional clients throughout EMEA. Locating our new sports and entertainment hub in London will take advantage of that connectedness and enable us to provide even more services to help our clients reach their business goals."

Under Wool's leadership, KSE now operates from three continents, and experts from around the world collaborate through a series of regional hubs. New York and Los Angeles-based KSE teams serve as hubs for work across North America. In the U.S., Shawn McBride was recently promoted to executive vice president, sports, and Courtney Nally was promoted to senior vice president and group manager, entertainment, reporting to Marcus Peterzell, EVP, entertainment.

The Sao Paulo-based KSE team serves as the hub for work across South America and is led by Vania Ciorlia. The newly expanded London KSE team will operate across Europe with the addition of Steph Burke, vice president and associate director, with support from Sean Flynn, account supervisor. 

Reflecting on her promotion, Wool said, "Ketchum Sports & Entertainment has become a nerve center for experts in global sports, media, movie studios, TV networks and digital properties who bring the most insightful and engaging ideas to the table. I couldn't be more proud of the incredible team we have assembled and the stellar work being done. We have great momentum right now and look forward to expanding further as we look towards the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games and 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games."

Ann Wool joined Ketchum as senior vice president and director of Ketchum Sports Network in 2001 and became a Ketchum partner in 2009. In 2012, Wool was one of 40 professionals profiled by Sports Business Journal in its annual "Game Changers" feature, dedicated to celebrating women who are making an impact in the sports industry. Prior to joining Ketchum, Wool spent 10 years at Edelman, where she played an instrumental role in establishing a sports and sponsorship marketing practice. 

About Ketchum
Ketchum is a leading global communications firm with operations in more than 70 countries across six continents. The winner of 14 Cannes Lions and an unprecedented four 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 the DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc., visit www.ketchum.com.

About the DAS Group of Companies
The DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), is a global group of marketing services companies. DAS includes over 200 companies in the following marketing disciplines: specialty, PR, healthcare, CRM, events, promotional marketing, branding and research. Operating through a combination of networks and regional organizations, DAS serves international, regional, national and local clients through more than 700 offices in 71 countries.

SOURCE Ketchum

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