Drobis, David

David R. Drobis, senior partner of New York–based Ketchum, one of the largest public relations firms in the world, epitomizes the American ideal of “working your way to the top.” Drobis joined Ketchum as an account executive in the firm's Pittsburgh office in 1969; 23 years later he was named CEO of the firm, and he retired as chairman in 2004. Drobis also is a role model for the concept of “investing in your profession.” Through leadership and service, he helped public relations mature into a stronger and more respected field.

Drobis was born May 1, 1941, in Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated from Western Maryland College in 1963 with a bachelor's degree in [Page 264]psychology. He went on to study journalism and public relations at American University in Washington, DC, where he earned a master's degree in 1965. Later in his career, Drobis enhanced his business skills by taking courses at Harvard University Business School and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

During the four years immediately following graduate school, Drobis worked as a publications editor in the Alumni Relations Office at American University and as a press officer in the Press Information Office of Montgomery County, Maryland. Unlike most of his contemporaries in public relations, he never worked as a journalist, which may account for his longtime emphasis on managerial rather than technical skills. His decision to join Ketchum in 1969 started him on an ascending career path that he followed for the next 35 years. He helped Ketchum grow from a small, specialized firm into a top-10 global agency. Under his leadership, Ketchum expanded from North America into Asia, Europe, and Latin America and into such vertical industry categories as brand marketing, food and nutrition, health care, and technology.

Drobis's firm, Ketchum, was founded in 1923, in Pittsburgh, by two brothers who had recently graduated from the University of Pittsburgh: Carlton and George Ketchum (Cutlip, 1965/1990). Interestingly, the Ketchum brothers' firm first dealt with both public relations and fundraising, but fundraising proved to be much more lucrative than public relations and became the dominant business of the firm. Eventually, two Ketchum firms evolved, one specializing in fundraising (still headquartered in Pittsburgh but owned by a Texas firm) and one specializing in public relations—the New York firm formerly led by Drobis.

In 1996, Ketchum was acquired by the Omnicom Group, Inc., the third largest marketing communications holding company in the world. During the 1990s, Ketchum established operations in Munich, Milan, Paris, London, and Madrid. In 1997, it established its first base in Latin America, with partnerships in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. The firm has more than 1,300 employees. Some of its current high-profile clients are FedEx, DuPont, Cingular Wireless, Estee Lauder, Wendy's, and Hanes.

Indicative of the firm's success, Ketchum won PRWeek's PR Agency of the Year award in 1990, 1995, 1998, and 2002. Also in 2002, The Holmes Report named Ketchum the number 3 large public relations agency to work for and the number 1 agency that public relations practitioners would choose to work for if they left their current firm. Under Drobis's leadership, Ketchum earned more Silver Anvils from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) than any other agency.

...