LONDON—Weber Shandwick has reshuffled its creative and consumer leadership in EMEA, naming Gabriela Lungu as the firm's first chief creative officer in the region.

Lungu takes on the position, which includes ultimate responsibility for the firm's creative output in UK and EMEA, after joining Weber Shandwick seven months ago as EMEA consumer practice leader.

Weber Shandwick UK group MD of brand marketing Rachel Friend will take on Lungu's duties by the end of the year, adding the role of consumer practice chair across UK and EMEA.

“As consumer practice leader for EMEA, Gabriela’s passion and objective right from the start has been to promote a culture of creativity," said Weber Shandwick EMEA and UK CEO Colin Byrne. "In her new role of chief creative officer, UK and EMEA, she will now be able to do this formally and for the entire agency.” 

Lungu joined Weber Shandwick from The Practice, the award-winning Romanian firm she founded in 2006.

Friend, meanwhile, has expanded her duties considerably since joining the firm as consumer marketing MD in 2010. At the start of this year she took on responsibility for all of the firm's UK consumer businesses, before being named brand marketing MD in July.

“Rachel has had a dramatic impact on the London consumer practice over the last years, including great growth and new business success, transformational work and winning consumer’s first Cannes Lion this summer," said Byrne. "Based on that transformational experience, Rachel will bring enormous added value to our consumer practice growth, clients and visibility.”