• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, December 19, 2012

In a bid to help clients better manage their ad buying across all screens Aegis Group has formed a new global unit called Amplifi. It will be headed by company veteran John Murray.

London-based Aegis also said it was forming a new supervisory board called the Network Brand Board that is tasked with driving enhancements at the company’s major agencies, including media shops Carat and Vizeum, digital agency Isobar, search specialist, iProspect and out-of-home agency Posterscope.

Nigel Sharrocks, CEO Global Brands at the holding company, has been named chairman of the new board. Areas of focus for the Brand Board include brand positioning, global client management and new business, the company said.

The company also said that several senior executives were being promoted and added to the new brand board, including Doug Ray, North American President of Carat, who has been elevated to global president of the agency. In his new role, Ray will continue to report to Aegis Media North American CEO Nigel Morris for Carat North America activities. He will also report to Sharrocks for matters related to his new global duties, an Aegis Group rep said.

Jerry Buhlmann, CEO, Aegis Group, stated that it was critical to "develop our structure, our brands and our people to ensure that we provide the very best service to our clients."

According to the company, the new Amplifi Group is charged with bringing a “consistent and global approach to paid-for-display media investment across all screens: TV, PC, laptop, mobile and tablet.” It will focus on trading, data management, media partnerships and real-time bidding.

John Murray, who assumes the title of president Amplifi Global, will continue to oversee the company’s global trading desk Amnet. In his Amplifi role, Murray will work with regional leaders on global investment issues and initiatives. “The country and regional management still retain responsibility for their own business, but link into [Murray], whose role is a coordinating one globally,” the rep said. 

Also promoted to new roles were: Thomas Le Thierry, director of projects for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, appointed president Vizeum Global; Rob Murray, CEO iProspect U.S.-appointed president iProspect Global, and Sue Frogley, chief commercial officer, global clients, appointed president, commercial operations.

Those executives, along with Posterscope Global CEO Annie Rickard and Isobar Global CEO Mark Cranmer, were also named members of the Network Brand Board.