LONDON — Rod Cartwright, Archetype’s EMEA regional director, has left the agency to start his own consulting business.

Cartwright joined Text100 (now Archetype) in September 2017 to lead the agency’s EMEA network as a member of the global leadership team, providing senior client counsel and spearheading thought leadership initiatives.

He was previously director of the global corporate practice at Ketchum for nearly ten years, with crisis experience including the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in 2014. Cartwright was also director of public affairs at Hill + Knowlton and GCI London, and has been a chair of the PRCA’s public affairs committee.

As Rod Cartwright Consulting, he will offer counsel to in-house teams, agencies and entrepreneurs in four areas: issues management and crisis communications; leadership communications and executive preparedness; thought leadership and corporate reputation; and strategy facilitation and event moderation.

Cartwright told the Holmes Report: “I’d never say never on working agency-side again but it’s the right time for me to do this now and move onto other opportunities.”

The ethos of the new initiative is “to create true human connectedness, deliver personalised communication preparedness and manage reputational risk.” Cartwright said: “Although systems and process and infrastructure are of course important, ultimately it’s people who determine communications success, create trusted dialogue and drive true human connectedness in today’s strange world.”

In a statement, Archetype said: “Rod made a great contribution to Text100, now Archetype and we wish him well in his new endeavours. The EMEA region is now being led as a team, with Richard Parkinson (UK), Cecile Missildine (Continental Europe, Middle East and Africa) and James Richardson (finance director) taking a broad view of the growth opportunities for the business.”