• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, September 11, 2017

Phelps, the Los Angeles-based agency, has promoted Ed Chambliss to CEO. He succeeds Joe Phelps, who founded the agency 36 years ago.

Phelps will serve as chairman of the eponymous agency and develop his nonprofit organization, the Getting Better Foundation, which “seeks to build trust through truth," according to its website.

Chambliss joined Phelps 17 years ago, after beginning his career as a copywriter at BBDO. He then headed the copywriting department at the Portfolio Center in Atlanta. At Phelps, he rose through the ranks to become president in 2015 and has led a reorientation of the agency with a focus on digital creative and planning.

 “We occupy an unusual space in marketing, where we’re able to help our clients align and amplify their efforts across advertising, public relations and social media,” stated Phelps of the agency, which is employee-owned.

“It takes a lot of experience across disciplines to deliver on that promise, especially in today’s complex digital environment. And it takes an appreciation and a facility with open collaboration to lead an agency like Phelps. Ed has demonstrated all of this beyond a doubt for several years,”  he added.

The agency has worked for well-known brands such as Whole Foods, Panasonic and Public Storage.

The CEO transition is the latest senior-level change to occur at the agency in recent months. In April, Tony Stern was named Chief Creative Officer, replacing two-time CLIO Hall-of-Famer Howie Cohen, best known for creating the iconic Seventies Alka-Seltzer ads, including “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing."