FIRST Appoints New COO Patrick Keane

Mr. Keane added, “I’m excited to join the talented group already in place at FIRST. I’ve watched the agency’s impressive trajectory and I look forward to helping continue to deliver world-class events for our clients.”

Mr. Keane’s experience is rooted in the financial services industry. Following six years at Carlson Marketing where he coordinated onsite operations for global meetings, events, and conferences, including three Olympic Games, Mr. Keane spent 10 years with Morgan Stanley in a variety of corporate event positions. Most recently, Mr. Keane served as a Director in Meeting Management & Event Strategy at Liberty Mutual Insurance. He also sits on a number of executive advisory boards for major hotel brands and industry associations.

The addition of Mr. Keane is the latest business announcement in what has been an outstanding year of growth and development for FIRST, which, prior to a rebrand in August, was known as First Protocol. In May, FIRST named Barry Richards as the President of the firm’s expanded managed services division, based in New York. Shortly after, FIRST acquired Barkley Kalpak Agency (BKA) and appointed Jeff Kalpak as President, Americas. The acquisition further affirmed FIRST as one of the leading global events agencies and enhanced its client portfolio in several key industries and service areas.