-By Adweek Staff

CHICAGO Y&R's office here has named Ken Erke, an ecd at the shop, chief creative officer, succeeding Mark Figliulo, who is finalizing a deal with Omnicom Group's TBWA\Chiat\Day to become chairman and CCO. Y&R employs about 40 creative department staffers in Chicago.

"Ken Erke shares our commitment to creative excellence," said Kary McIlwain, president of Y&R in Chicago, in a statement. "His passion, integrity and creativity are both exciting and contagious. He has helped our clients' brands really shine in the marketplace.  What's more, he has received recognition from every major awards show in the industry including Kelly Awards, the One Show, Clios and the Cannes Festival."

Erke has spent most of the past seven years at the shop on accounts such as Miller, Orbitz, Hilton and Sears, though he left in November 2006 for a brief stint as a group cd at Cramer-Krasselt (on Corona, Modello and Rozerem), returning to Y&R the next May in the ecd role.

"We are thrilled to have Ken take the creative reins in Chicago," said Hamish McLennan, gobal CEO at Y&R, a unit of WPP Group. "He's been part of the agency's success and will continue us on our winning path."