NEW YORK — KWT Global’s Aaron Kwittken is ceding his CEO role to president Gabrielle Zucker, which comes in conjunction with Kwittken moving into the role of chairman.

As chairman, Kwittken, who launched the firm with now-departed Jason Schlossberg and Zucker 15 years ago, will continue working with certain clients, host his Brand on Purpose podcast and participate in some business development and agency marketing initiatives.

The rest of his time will be devoted towards scaling PRophet, an AI-driven software venture he launched earlier this year with parent company MDC Ventures.

“I am confident that the agency will continue to prosper under Gabrielle’s leadership and that our clients and staff will benefit greatly from her vision and day-to-day management,” Kwittken said. “Gabrielle is an agency unicorn. She’s a whip-smart, resilient, unbreakable, hard-working, kind and compassionate human being.”

The leadership change is the second major move by KWT this year. In June, KWT merged with sister MDC agency HL Group, which since then has been operating as a single entity under Kwittken and Zucker’s watch. The merger doubled KWT’s staff and boosted its expertise in sectors including consumer, lifestyle, fashion and beauty.

Last year, MDC Partners created a network that aligns six of its specialty agencies, including PR firms  KWT and HL Group, with one of its largest US advertising firms, Doner.

“Aaron created an agency that transcends the established PR model and has spent the last 15 years applying his passion, determination and focused energy to stay ahead of the market, consistently innovating to be more performative and elevate the industry,” Zucker said. “I am honored to continue his vision, evolving and pushing the boundaries of our craft and what we can do for our clients while ensuring a stable and healthy agency for our staff to thrive and grow.”