MIAMI — Mike Fernandez, the former head of Burson-Marsteller’s US operations, has joined Llorente & Cuenca as the firm’s US CEO.

Fernandez replaces Erich de la Fuente, who has taken a new role as partner and chairman of LL&C USA.

The moves are part of a larger restructuring underway at Llorente & Cuenca, designed to propel the agency’s expansion in the US, as well as across Latin America.  Developing digital and marketing capabilities to help clients connect with US Hispanics is a primary goal.

“Over the last three years we have learned a lot about the US market and helped an increasing number of US-based clients do business in Latin America. Building on that success, we seek to continue to expand by connecting with an increasingly diverse U.S. population,” said LL&C founding partner and chairman José Antonio Llorente. “We are thrilled to have someone of Mike Fernandez’s caliber and experience to help us explore that opportunity.”

Fernandez spent a year as B-M’s US CEO before departing the firm in February after its merger with Cohn & Wolfe. His responsibilities were assumed by Chris Foster, the former B-M worldwide executive VP and business development officer, who was named North American president of the new agency, Burson Cohn & Wolfe.

Before joining B-M, Fernandez had a long in-house career, holding communications leadership roles at Cargill, State Farm Insurance and ConAgra Foods among others. He is also a professor of strategic communication at Boston University.