LONDON--Fernando Rizo has left Cohn & Wolfe, one year after joining the firm as its EMEA head of digital.

Rizo told the Holmes Report that he would now focus his efforts on software development.

"There were a couple of opportunities I didn’t want to pass up in the software universe," said Rizo. "Cohn & Wolfe brought me in to build a new digital team from scratch. That team is in good shape, so I did what I set out to do."

Cohn & Wolfe EMEA MD Scott Wilson added that the agency is actively seeking Rizo's replacement. "It's a hugely important role," said Wilson, noting that the successful candidate would need to bring "high-level digital thinking", and be able to produce "big standout campaigns, new product development and thought leadership."

Prior to joining Cohn & Wolfe, Rizo headed Ketchum Pleon's digital team in London. "I’m not ruling out a return to the PR industry," said Rizo, who originally joined Ketchum in New York. "I’ve spent too long doing this stuff to abandon it entirely."