Ketchum Chairman Ray Kotcher Inducted into ICCO Hall of Fame

LONDON, November 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Ketchum named Regional Network of the Year - Americas  

Ketchum senior partner and chairman Ray Kotcher was inducted into the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO)'s Hall of Fame last night for making "exceptional progress in the internationalization of the public relations industry whilst demonstrating the cultural sensitivity and commercial acumen to create an agency that shares global reach with local relevance." In addition, Ketchum was named 'Regional Network of the Year - Americas' after another year of strong performance.

Describing his reaction to his award, Kotcher said, "Being named to ICCO's Hall of Fame is deeply meaningful to me. I have been so lucky - I've worked for more than 30 years in a business that I love, doing work that I love, meeting extraordinary people and travelling the world. And if I've learned one thing, it's that our guiding principle must be practicing to the highest professional standards. We're a business that's built on trust, and that's the key to sustaining success for our industry, not only for today but in the years to come."

During his more than 30-year career at Ketchum, Kotcher guided the expansion of the firm's global client-service footprint. Leading one of the largest mergers in the PR industry when Ketchum combined operations with leading European communications consultancy Pleon in 2009, he then continued to increase the firm's reach with major investments in the Middle East, Russia, China, India, Singapore and Korea.

Kotcher is a past trustee of the Institute for Public Relations and former two-time chair of the PR Council. He currently serves on the executive committee and board of trustees of the Arthur W. Page Society and is a trustee of the PRSA Foundation. He also is a member of The Seminar and serves on the board of directors of Nile Rodgers' We Are Family Foundation, a leading non-profit dedicated to supporting social responsibility projects of exceptional teens from around the world.

In 2012, Kotcher received the Public Relations Society of America's Gold Anvil, that organization's highest individual honour for lifetime achievement. He also is a past recipient of the Holmes Group's Individual Achievement SABRE Award. In 2013, he was inducted into PR News' PR People Hall of Fame, and in 2014, Kotcher was honoured with the Institute for Public Relations' Alexander Hamilton Medal for Lifetime Contribution.

Kotcher has a Bachelor of Arts in English from the State University of New York at Geneseo and serves as a trustee of the Geneseo Foundation board. He has a Master of Science in public relations from Boston University's College of Communication, delivered its 2006 commencement address, and has been honoured by the University as a distinguished alumnus.

The Regional Network of the Year category was judged by some of the global PR industry's leading figures.  Submissions covered agency performance, innovation, staff and client retention, diversity and collaboration.  

Commenting on the Regional Network of the Year - Americas win, David Gallagher, Senior Partner at Ketchum said: "The International Communications Consultancy Organisation represents the world's elite agencies, so it understands the impact communicators can have in aligning what powerful organizations say and do. We're very proud to be given this award, and have the counsel we offer recognized."

ICCO is a conglomerate of national public relations trade associations in 32 countries, which represents approximately 2,500 PR firms. Its Hall of Fame has recognized outstanding PR figures since 2003.

About Ketchum  

Ketchum is a leading global communications firm with operations in more than 70 countries across six continents. The winner of 17 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, visit http://www.ketchum.com.

About the DAS Group of Companies 

The DAS Group of Companies, a division of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (http://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.