Hasta La Creative!

Hill Holliday veteran Karen Kaplan is stepping into the role of CEO, completing a long-expected ascension to the top post at the Boston agency.

Ms. Kaplan, 53, is taking over for Mike Sheehan on his 10-year anniversary of being named CEO at Interpublic Group of Cos.-owned Hill Holliday. Her career trajectory is a true example of what it means to work your way up. She joined the Boston-based firm in 1982 with no formal advertising education. Initially, she was a receptionist but eventually she transitioned to account management, working on consumer, retail, financial-services and technology accounts.

In January of 2001, Ms. Kaplan was promoted to managing director of the Boston office and in June 2007 she assumed the role of president of the agency. It’s been long rumored in agency circles that Mr. Sheehan — who succeeded Hill Holliday founder Jack Connors as CEO in 2003 — would hand over the torch to Ms. Kaplan when he retired. But he’s now planning staying on as chairman for the next two years.

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