SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Corsi has been promoted to lead Lewis' US operations, following the exit of EVP Morgan McLintic after 20 years with the independent PR agency.

Corsi will continue to oversee the Lewis Pulse global digital unit, which he has led since joining the agency four years ago from iCrossing.

McLintic is one of the longest-tenured Lewis employees, joining the firm shortly after it was founded in London in 1995. He founded the firm's US operations in 1998 and held a variety of roles before becoming EVP in 2008.

After leaving Lewis, McLintic plans to launch a communications agency focusing on influencer relations and advocacy.

"Morgan has had an amazing career with us, firstly as a PR consultant in London, and latterly in the US growing the business," said Lewis founder/CEO Chris Lewis (pictured). "Under his leadership the US operation grew from start-up to over 300 staff across four offices. After twenty years of success, Morgan felt he was ready for a new challenge."

Lewis has made a number of US acquisitions in recent years, including Page One, Davies Murphy, and Piston. Lewis ranked 29th in the Holmes Report's 2016 Global PR Agency Rankings with global revenues of US$65m, but founder Chris Lewis has been clear about prioritizing growth in the US. 

"[Corsi] is a great team leader and understands what our clients need for the future," said Lewis. "He has the experience and skill to develop an integrated service for our clients."