• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, September 10, 2008

Hoping to remain current, Interpublic's Initiative unit has tapped a top executive--from, well, Current--to head up its vaunted Innovations group. Jason Meil, who has been senior vice president-original programming, acquisitions and user-generated content at Al Gore's Current Media, has joined Initiative as executive vice president-director of innovations, effectively taking on the role created by former Innovations chief Alan Cohen, who left earlier this year to take a top post at Omnicom's OMD unit.

Actually, Initiative is splitting the role in two, tapping another recent recruit--Katy Ferguson--to run Initiative's entertainment group.

Ferguson--who joined Initiative earlier this month as vice president-group account director responsible for Initiative's CBS, Showtime and Fuse accounts--had previously been vice president-associated media director at Omnicom's PHD unit.

Ferguson, who will be based in New York, effectively replaces Greg Castronuovo, one of the Initiative executives Cohen raided when he left for OMD.

At PHD, Ferguson was a key player on the agency's HBO, HBO Video and Cinemax account teams, as well as fashion brands such as Havaianas, Te Casan and Hugo Boss. She was part of the team that created HBO's acclaimed "Voyeur" campaign.

Jason Meil, previously SVP of original programming, acquisitions and user generated content at Current Media, has been named EVP, director, innovations. He will be based in Initiative's Los Angeles office, where its award-wining Innovations unit is headquartered, and report to Spengler. Meil, who will be based in Initiative's Los Angeles office, is an expert on emerging media platforms.

As part of the reorganization, Initiative promoted New York-based Dave Rosner to vice president-director of innovations, and Los Angeles-based Paul Leys to director of innovations. Both report to Meil.

Meil and Ferguson both report to U.S. President Tim Spengler.