CHICAGO – Ogilvy PR has hired Ketchum’s Michele Anderson as managing director of its Chicago office, effective April 1.

Ogilvy’s Chicago MD post had been vacant since January 2013 when Nathan Friedman was promoted as the firm’s West Coast head. During the interim, the agency’s US corporate practice head Mike Hatcliffe stepped into the role.

When Anderson takes over on April 1, she’ll report into Ogilvy PR North America CEO Robert Mathias. She will be responsible for Chicago’s strategic direction and growth, overseeing client accounts, financial performance, business development, talent and office operations. She will also work closely with the agency’s global network and Ogilvy & Mather Chicago’s advertising and marketing disciplines.

Since 2011, Anderson had been SVP of corporate and business development for Ketchum South. In January, she was promoted to director of Ketchum Atlanta where she was responsible for the day-to-day management of the agency’s Atlanta operations.

Before joining Ketchum South, Anderson was co-founder of Magna Carta, Ketchum’s South Africa affiliate and spent 15 years running the agency.