Cramer-Krasselt has promoted Karen Seamen, 53, to the new post of chief operating officer. Throughout her 21-year career with C-K, Seamen has been instrumental in the development and evolution of the agency's integrated model spanning advertising, media, interactive and engagement strategies. She was elevated to general manager of C-K's Chicago office in 2006, and has helped drive the agency's new business development.

Peter Krivkovich, C-K CEO and president, said Seamen will promote collaboration among C-K's four offices and help put the agency on the path to becoming the nation's largest independent ad agency. It is currently in second place. Seamen also will continue in her role as general manager of C-K/Chicago.

Is Cramer-Krasselt going international soon? Apparently not, according to a spokeswoman for the agency, which has its principal office here in Chicago. But that oft-rumored foreign expansion still will be one of the topics expected to be touched on in an article on Cramer-Krasselt and its leader Peter Krivkovich in next Monday's edition of Crain's Chicago Business. Whatever else may be said about him, Krivkovich undoubtedly is one of the city's most aggressive ad agency executives, though circumstances -- like account defections -- often have prevented him from growing his agency as fast as he might have liked.

Cramer-Krasselt recently suffered a big setback in its Chicago office when Crown Imports took the Corona Light business out of the agency and initially awarded it to Publicis/New York. But that move backfired when it was revealed Publicis was in talks with Anheuser-Busch InBev about working with that competing brewing giant. Aside from the Corona account issues, C-K also is currently searching for a executive creative director in its Chicago office.

No matter the setbacks though, Krivkovich always has seemed to be focused on growth, and apparently, he fully intends to keep foreign expansion on the table as an option.