PARIS—Allison+Partners has launched in France, hiring two industry veterans to lead offices in Paris and Lyon.

Associate directors Isabelle Dejeux and Yann Le Flohic will lead both offices, working closely with Allison's London office. The launch is the latest step in Allison's global footprint, which also included China expansion last year.

The move comes as several international PR firms struggle to grow their French presence. Senior partner and MD Matthew Della Croce noted that the agency has "a number of US based clients with needs in France."

"Moreover, the reason for choosing France was about the talent we add to Allison+Partners," he added. "We have brought on two highly respected PR pros in France to lead our work there with their team."

Dejeux previously launched a boutique PR agency with offices in Lyon and Paris that she sold to Nouveau Monde DDB Group. After the sale she remained a shareholder and director and led the DDB PR department. 

Le Flohic, meanwhile, began his career in-house at Alcatel in London before moving into the agency world, where he has held positions at Trimedia, Harvard PR, Ogilvy PR and DDB PR, based in Paris and Lyon.

“France is a significant player in the global economy and we are focused on attracting the best talent in key, multinational-oriented markets,” said Andy Hardie-Brown, co-founder and COO of Allison+Partners.