Paul Taaffe, Hill & Knowlton’s chairman and CEO, is stepping down from his post. Taaffe has been with the firm 18 years and has served as CEO and chair since 2002, PRWeek reports.

It was announced in November that Hill & Knowlton and Public Strategies would merge. That merge took effect on January 1. Jack Martin, founder and chairman of Public Strategies, became global executive chairman of H&K. Martin is now also global CEO.

MaryLee Sachs, who was U.S. chair and director of the global marcomms practice and had been with the firm since 1984, stepped down from her post a few days ago, PRWeek writes.

In a statement, Martin says:

I want to thank Paul Taaffe for his more than 18 years at H&K. During the past eight years as chair and chief executive, Paul contributed significantly to its continued success and imprint as a global leader in size, geographic reach and profitability. In addition, he has contributed significantly to the advancement of the communications industry.

I’m excited that he has agreed to serve as a senior counselor to me and the firm for the next several months as we make this transition, as I know we can all benefit from his insights and wisdom.