NEW YORK — Teneo has named former Xerox chief executive Ursula Burns chairwoman, filling a role vacated with CEO Declan Kelly’s abrupt departure amid allegations of inappropriate behavior.

Burns' appointment is effective immediately, according to a Teneo statement. Burns has worked with Teneo as a senior advisor since 2017 and was a client of the firm as well.

In her role as chairwoman, Burns will be working closely with Paul Keary, the Teneo co-founder and COO who became CEO last week with Kelly’s exit, as the firm positions itself for future growth, the company said.

Burns most recently served as CEO and chairwoman of telecom company Veon and was Xerox’s chief executive from 2009-2016. She was the first African American woman to lead a Fortune 500 company,

“I am honored to be appointed as chairwoman of Teneo and look forward to working in close partnership with Paul and many members of the senior leadership team as the firm enters its next phase,” Burns said. “I have worked for many years with Teneo both as a client at Xerox and Veon, as well as recently as a senior advisor. The firm’s people are among the best advisors in the world, providing a unique combination of services not available at other firms.

“I have a deep understanding of the business, the needs of its clients, and a sincere appreciation for all the great Teneo professionals around the world. As chairwoman, I intend to focus on advising and growing Teneo’s clients, as well as continuing to build a world-class firm culture,” she said.

Burns’ appointment comes a week after Kelly’s resignation, which stemmed from his behavior at a May 2 fundraiser for Global Citizen reported by The Financial Times. Global Citizen removed Kelly from its board the day after the incident.

General Motors canceled its $250,000-per-month contract with Teneo after news of Kelly’s behavior surfaced, raising questions whether other clients would follow. Kelly, who worked directly with GM CEO Mary Barra, also worked with the heads of Coca-Cola, Dow, IBM and UBS.

Earlier this year, Teneo was embroiled in another high-profile controversy. In March, The Guardian reported that Trump aide Jason Miller had a secret deal with Teneo to hide his $500,000 salary from the firm to avoid paying child support.

In December, Doug Band, who co-founded the firm with Kelly and Paul Keary in 2011, left to pursue other interests.