NEW YORK—Porter Novelli has appointed industry veteran Rich Jernstedt as a senior counselor in the agency’s Chicago office.

The appointment of Jernstedt—who has experience of leadership roles at GolinHarris and Fleishman-Hillard—to a part-time role in Chicago comes as the firm is seeking a new chief executive following the departure of global CEO Gary Stockman and CFO and president Anthony Viceroy.

In his new position, Jernstedt will work closely with the agency’s Chicago team to provide counsel to existing clients and drive new business opportunities, working in close cooperation with the global Porter Novelli network. 

A year ago, Jernstedt launched his own consulting practice, The Jernstedt Company, while continuing to serve as a consultant to Fleishman-Hillard, where he had previously served as executive vice president and senior partner.  Before that he spent 26 years with GolinHarris, including 12 years as CEO and later as chairman.