Philippe Cherel Joins Manning Selvage & Lee France

Manning Selvage & Lee (MS&L) today announced it has appointed Philippe Cherel as managing director of MS&L France.  His appointment is effective immediately.

Cherel will focus on building the MS&L brand in France by working with the agency's clients who are interested in expanding their presence to the French market.  He will work on new business development, capitalizing in particular on the agency's extensive healthcare and consumer expertise to attract new clients and grow the business.  He will also play a key role in shaping the strategic direction of MS&L's European offices by joining MS&L's European management team, under the leadership of European president Anders Kempe.

"I'm very pleased to have such a talented communications professional lead our office in France," said Mark Hass, MS&L's global chief executive officer.  "His entrepreneurial spirit and creativity are exactly what we need in the critical French market."

This leadership change is a further expansion of MS&L's European presence.  Earlier this year, MS&L opened offices in Stockholm and Oslo and aligned JKL Group, the Nordic communications powerhouse, into its global structure.  Capital MS&L, the agency's financial communications and investor relations arm in London, also expanded its offering this year in that key global financial market.  MS&L also recently announced it has hired Peter Steere as head of public affairs for MS&L Europe; Peter will be based in Brussels, a new office for MS&L.

Cherel, who has more than 20 years of experience in communications, was most recently managing director of Edelman in Paris.  There, he managed a variety of clients such as Unilever, Pfizer, L'Oreal, AstraZeneca and the Tour de France.  He started his career in public affairs and consulting for the pharmaceutical industry and specializes in luxury brands, cosmetics, sports, automotive and transportation communications.  He has extensive experience in the technology and financial services industries, including mobile phones, insurance and recruitment services.  Cherel's public affairs experience includes institutional and educational communication and event promotion programs ranging from tobacco issues to social crises.

"MS&L's people and culture are a perfect match with my interests and experience, and I’m thrilled to be joining the team," said Cherel.

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