Hill+Knowlton Strategies has elevated Michael Kehs, head of the firm’s U.S. energy practice and Houston office, to the role of global energy practice leader. This appointment, which will be in addition to his U.S. and GM roles, is effective immediately.

Hill+Knowlton Strategies Elevates Michael Kehs to Global Energy Practice Leader (Photo: Business Wir ...

Hill+Knowlton Strategies Elevates Michael Kehs to Global Energy Practice Leader (Photo: Business Wire)

“There could hardly be a more important time to be engaged with the global energy industry. Technological innovations are unleashing vast new sources of energy, disrupting global markets and empowering bold new thinking across the value chain from production and distribution to conservation and storage, and we’re fortunate to have an industry expert like Michael lead our team and our clients through these opportunities,” said Mike Coates, president and CEO of H+K Americas and head of the firm’s global practices.

Prior to rejoining H+K in his current roles in 2014, Kehs was vice president of strategic affairs and public relations at Chesapeake Energy Corporation, an Oklahoma City-based independent exploration and production (E&P) company and the most active driller of natural gas and oil wells in the U.S. He led the company’s extensive internal and external communications initiatives, produced the company's inaugural Corporate Responsibility Report, and served as media spokesperson. From 2008 to 2011, he was general manager of H+K’s Washington, D.C., office. Before that he spent more than two decades with Porter Novelli and Burson-Marsteller.

As head of a diverse global energy practice team, Kehs will lead the firm’s efforts to support companies and organizations focused on oil and gas development, transportation and processing; power and utilities; renewable and alternative fuels; energy services, technology and infrastructure maintenance; operational EH&S and natural resources stewardship and sustainability.

“The quest for ever cleaner, smarter, more efficient energy development and use is among the most compelling stories of our generation,” Kehs said. “While cyclical commodity prices and policy acrimony attract headlines about ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ in the near term, there is no mistaking that advancements in technology and responsible operating philosophy are driving record production as well as new options to meet growing worldwide demand. This is a positive story that must be told and one that policy makers and the public must understand.”

About Hill+Knowlton Strategies

Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Inc. is a leading international communications consultancy, providing services to local, multinational and global clients. The firm is headquartered in New York, with 88 offices in 51 countries, as well as an extensive associate network. The agency is part of WPP, the world’s largest communications services group. For more information, please visit www.hkstrategies.com.