LONDON--Ketchum has named Denise Kaufmann as its new CEO in London, following the departure of Avril Lee.

The Holmes Report revealed Lee's departure last month. Kaufmann takes charge of the London office's 200 employees after previously serving as partner and managing director of client services.

Since joining Ketchum in 1997, Kaufmann has worked on domestic and international initiatives with corporate leaders including FedEx, The Dow Chemical Company, Lions Clubs International, IBM and Philips, among others. She has been based in London since 2010 and will report to EMEA CEO David Gallagher.

“Denise possesses the ideal skill set for running the London office. In addition to her strong relationships with clients, she has the business and management expertise needed to run a major office like London, which serves as a hub for our global client engagements,” said Gallagher.

“As the first Ketchum employee to be based in three different regions – North America, Asia and Europe – she has firsthand knowledge of our global network and a unique perspective on how it operates.”