Kate Sanders, former chief operating officer and chief marketing strategist, has been promoted to chief executive officer at Alison South Marketing Group.

Sanders succeeds Michael Thomas, who has separated from the Group to accept a position of CMO at another company. Thomas has stepped down from leadership effective Sept. 21, 2023, and will remain with the Group in a consultant role to support as and when required.

Alison South Marketing Group includes e-commerce and video production divisions. With more than 60 team members, the agency provides full marketing services to local, regional and national clients.

“Kate has the strategic leadership talent to provide end-to-end solutions for our clients,” said Vishal Shah, president and partner. “We have recently added call center services that provide virtual assistants and lead generation services, complex web development, mobile applications and digital marketing platforms in addition to our traditional offerings. Our broader scope of marketing services combined with Kate’s leadership will grow our client portfolio.”

Priya Betala, chief financial officer and partner, said, “While we are positioned to help our clients compete in the national marketplace, we know that our regional clients comprise the core of our community. I have full confidence in Kate’s ability to lead our team and provide excellent service to our clients.”

Sanders said, “I have enjoyed helping to build our team and to help many of our long-term clients reach their business goals. Our agency has continued to evolve over the past 13 years, and I’m excited about shepherding us to providing a true full-service experience.”

Recently named Columbia County Chamber’s Businesswoman of the Year, Sanders started with Alison South as accounts manager in 2015 and then joined the Group as an owner. The South Company, established in 2010, became Alison South in 2016 after purchasing Augusta’s Alison Group.