NEW YORK—Ketchum has named longtime west coast partner Sean Fitzgerald executive vice president, China, and director of the firm’s Shanghai office. Fitzgerald, currently managing director of Ketchum West, will relocate in January. In addition to managing the Shanghai office, he also will be responsible for overseeing the agency’s presence in Beijing and Guangzhou.

As part of the transition, Dave Chapman, partner and director of Ketchum West, takes responsibility for the Ketchum West operations, composed of offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Ketchum, our Greater China Consultancy of the Year last year, had been led by Kenneth Chu, partner and CEO, and Betty Lo, president. Earlier this year, Ketchum acquired a majority ownership position in the operation, a Ketchum partner for more than 20 years.

In his new role, Fitzgerald will report to Chu and Jon Higgins, Ketchum’s senior partner and CEO of international operations. He joins a leadership team that also includes Lo; Chris Liu, partner and chief business officer; and Simeon Mellalieu, general manager, Hong Kong.

Fitzgerald previously spent time in Asia while at Mattel and Levi Strauss & Co. He joined Ketchum in 1999 as director of the Los Angeles office, became a partner in 2001 and was named managing director of Ketchum West in 2004. He also is responsible for the agency’s global corporate social responsibility practice, which he will continue to oversee in his new role.

Chapman joined Ketchum in 2004 and was named partner in 2007. In addition to his current role, he is a senior member of Ketchum’s global food and nutrition practice and leads the agency’s sustainability offering. He is based in San Francisco.