Arthur W. Page Society today announced that effective January 1, 2002 David R. Drobis, senior partner and chairman of Ketchum, will become president of the Arthur W. Page Society, a leading communications organization with membership consisting of top corporate communications professionals.  He succeeds James E. Murphy, Global Managing Director of Marketing and Communications for Accenture, who ends his third one-year term on December 31.

As president of the Society, Drobis will have responsibility for setting the organization’s priorities to strengthen the management policy role of the corporate public relations officer.

“David Drobis has been an exceptional leader in the public relations industry and a key member of our organization,” said Murphy.  “Dave shares the Board’s vision and drive to move the Society forward as we approach our 20th anniversary two years from now.  Dave has served the Society well for years in so many ways:  as an officer, as Fall Conference Chairman among numerous committee roles, and most recently as chair of the Nominating committee.  He will do a great job.”

“Being elected president of the Arthur Page Society is a tremendous honor.  It is an incredibly challenging time for communications professionals,” said Drobis, “and I believe we can leverage the leadership of the Arthur W. Page Society and its members to share the value of public relations.”

A member of the PRSA International Committee and President of the London-based International Communications Consultancies Organization (ICCO), a body of public relations firms representing more than 850 consultancies in 24 nations, Drobis was the founding chairman of the Council of Public Relations Firms and was ranked number eight in PR Week’s “The 100 most influential PR people of the 20th Century” for his work throughout the world to advance the practice of public relations as a strategic business tool.

Named by Drobis to serve on the Executive Committee and confirmed by the Board were Vice Presidents Marguerite Copel (Ocean Spray Cranberries), E. Ronald Culp (Sears Roebuck & Co.), Valerie Di Maria (GE Capital), Matthew P. Gonring (Northwestern University), John D. Kiker (United Airlines), Maril Gagen MacDonald (Matha MacDonald) and James E. Murphy (Accenture). Steven J. Harris (General Motors Corporation) will serve as Secretary, and J. Roger Bolton (Aetna, Inc.) will continue as Treasurer.  Jack Koten and Bill Nielsen (Johnson & Johnson) will serve as at-large members of the executive committee.  Richard J. Martin (AT&T) and Thomas R. Martin (ITT Industries) were named as new Trustees to fill positions left by departing Trustees William H. Oliver (AT&T) and Kirk Stewart (Nike).

About the Arthur W. Page Society

The Arthur W. Page Society is a professional association composed primarily of the chief communications officers (CCOs) of the world’s top multinational corporations, and the CEOs of the world’s largest public relations agencies. The organization’s members also include academics from the leading business and communications schools.

The Page Society is dedicated to strengthening the management policy role of chief communications officers. The Page Society is upheld by management concepts, known as the Page Principles, which have been tested for more than half a century and have earned the support and respect of chief executive officers throughout the country. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Arthur W. Page Society.