• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, September 7, 2011

Universal McCann, the Interpublic Group media agency, has named Colleen Soriano to the role of senior vice president, U.S. director of digital communications, making her the top digital executive at the agency in the U.S. 

In the role, Soriano is tasked with managing UM's digital media planning teams and leading strategy and implementation of all digital media initiatives across the U.S. She is also expected to strengthen the shop's digital offering by incorporating emerging trends that will add innovation and custom solutions to client initiatives.

Soriano replaces David Cohen, who was elevated to global digital officer at UM earlier this year. She reports to Cohen, who stated that her "deep digital background, coupled with her experience in bringing integrated and holistic solutions to clients, made her experience ideal." UM hired Soriano away from WPP's MEC, where she served as senior partner of engagement planning, responsible for the creation and implementation of digital strategies and integrated planning.

At MEC she led digital accounts for clients such as Colgate-Palmolive, Campbell's Soup and Energizer Holdings.

While at MEC, in 2008, Soriano was recognized as a "Media All-Star" by Mediaweek. Earlier, she served as an account director at Razorfish, now a unit of the Publicis Groupe, and before that had stints at Bluefly and Organic.