Weber Shandwick executive to leave post

Joe Kessler, president of Weber Shandwick California, has announced he is leaving the company within 30 days.

He added that he would continue to have a consulting role for an as-yet undetermined time period.

Kessler said that at this point in his career he might do something more entrepreneurial.

"I feel that the time is right for me to try something new," he said. "While I know this may be difficult for some people to believe, I am doing so fully of my own volition."

With Kessler's departure, Shandwick's top executives in California are L.A. EVPs Armando Azarloza and Rod Clayton, and Bay Area SVP Debra Raine.

The three "will all handle key management responsibilities moving forward, and we are actively seeking a new head of California operations," Weber Shandwick president Andy Polansky said in an e-mail.

This article was first published on PR Week USA