BOHAN Advertising has promoted Shari Day from president-chief operating officer to CEO, following the announcement earlier this week of former chief exec Kerry Graham's plan to launch his own firm.
Ms. Day, who joined the firm in 2010 as senior-VP for operations and planning, is Bohan's first female CEO since its foundation in 1990.
She will report to David Bohan, chairman and founder of the eponymous agency, and retain her president title. The role of COO will not be filled because Ms. Day said she feels confident with the "solid leadership team" the agency currently has in place.
After working at Bohan for the last eight years and serving as CEO since 2014, Mr. Graham has decided to leave the agency to start his own project-based shop called The Brand Hotel.
As CEO of the 80-employee, Nashville-based firm, Ms. Day said she plans on continuing to mentor the staff and build the culture at Bohan.
"I just want for us to continue to surround ourselves with smart, talented folks and I think it's important to provide them with the tools they need to do their jobs," she added.
Bohan, which was given Ad Age's silver award for its agency culture this fall, works with clients such as Saint Thomas Health, O'Charley's, Dollar General, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, the Southeast Tourism Society, and the Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism – its first client.
The shop was also named Ad Age's Southeast Small Agency of the Year in 2014.
Prior to Bohan, Ms. Day spent 19 years at Davis Newman Payne in Knoxville, Tennessee. She began her career in 1988 at First Team Marketing in Orlando, where she worked in broadcast production.
