Diana Marszalek 05 Feb 2020 // 9:28PM GMT
NEW YORK — Karen Strauss, a longtime Ketchum senior leader, is leaving the firm after 30-plus years to join M Booth Heath as chief strategy and innovation officer.
In the newly created position, Strauss is leading the firm’s strategic and creative planning function, while also developing new products and services. She is also charged with finding synergies between the larger M Booth agency and M Booth Health.
Strauss reports to CEO Timothy Bird, who is working to expand the newly rebranded healthcare communications consultancy, and she will be part of the firm’s 12-person senior leadership team.
M Booth Health, formerly the US division of Health Unlimited, was acquired by Next Fifteen Communications Group in October 2019. The agency was rebranded M Booth Health and operates as a separate company reporting to M Booth CEO Dale Bornstein. Like Strauss, Bornstein also worked at Ketchum for close to three decades, serving as a senior partner and head of global practices before joining M Booth in 2013.
Strauss, a 2017 Innovator 25, has long been a creative force at Ketchum, where she was chief global strategy and creativity officer before being assuming her most recently role of executive creative director/health. A Ketchum partner, Strauss also spent three years as the firm’s chief innovation officer.
“Karen’s leadership style has always placed people first so I’m certain she will be a tremendous cultural fit at M Booth Health,” Bornstein said. “We envision significant collaboration between both businesses and look forward to partnering with Karen to shape new offerings for clients, particularly in content, digital, influencer and public affairs.”