Sogard named Publicis & Hal Riney chairman

Harold Sogard

Publicis USA has named Harold Sogard chairman of creative agency Publicis & Hal Riney, effective September 19. It is a new position at the San Francisco-based shop.

Sogard will report to Susan Gianinno, chairman and CEO of Publicis USA. Publicis & Hal Riney CEO Kristi VandenBosch will report to Sogard.

Sogard will work with members of the agency's senior leadership team, including VandenBosch, chief creative officer Kevin Roddy and chief strategy officer Julie Liss. He said he will be responsible for promoting “the storytelling tradition of Riney and putting it together with the digital savvy of [digital agency Publicis] Modem.”

When it hired Roddy in April, Publicis merged Publicis Modem's San Francisco office with that of Publicis & Hal Riney.

“My primary role is to enable [the agency] to grow,” said Sogard. “There's a lot of focus internally on blending the two units together and making great work for our clients. I have to go out and let the world know, ‘Hey, Riney is changing. There's this really exciting thing happening here.'”

Sogard said he chose to join Publicis & Hal Riney after Gianinno contacted him. He previously served as vice chairman and partner at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners.