NEW YORK — Cohn & Wolfe CMO Jill Tannenbaum has stepped down, after a 12-year relationship with the WPP firm.

Tannenbaum rejoined Cohn & Wolfe in 2009, after earlier spending four years with the agency.

The WPP firm has hired Susan Pagano to take over Tannenbaum's duties. Pagano, who becomes EVP of global marketing and communications, arrives from DeVries Global, where she was director of business development, and previously worked at Cohn & Wolfe agency GCI Group. 

"Jill has worked with me for most of the past 25 years and has always added tremendous value to me personally and to the companies at which she worked," said Cohn & Wolfe global CEO Donna Imperato. "I respect Jill's decision to move on to a new adventure and wish her all the best for a successful change in her career."

"Susan is an admired talent in the industry and among those of us who have worked with her in the past, and I’m confident she will accomplish great things for Cohn & Wolfe," added Imperato.

Cohn & Wolfe has made a number of changes to its US-based leadership in recent weeks, elevating Jim Joseph to worldwide president and hiring Laura Pesin Eder to oversee North America.