Wednesday, September 18, 2002
AOL Time Warner Inc.'s America Online Inc. is making a series of upper-level management changes, and plans to eliminate the company's Chief Operating Officer and President posts, while giving recently appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Jon Miller a more direct role in overseeing the company's key units. As part of the restructuring, J. MICHAEL KELLY was named Chairman and Chief Executive of the International Division, current AOL President RAY OGLETHORPE will retire after serving as a senior adviser during a transition period, and Vice Chairman and Chief Marketing Officer JAN BRANDT will step down from those posts and take on a new part-time role as a senior adviser. Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President JOSEPH RIPP will become Vice Chairman and directly oversee other corporate and operating functions, including the company's network infrastructure and technology operations. Current Vice Chairman TED LEONSIS will chair newly created councils overseeing brand, product and technology strategy. Ripp, who moves to the Vice Chairman post with the reorganization, will remain Chief Financial Officer until his replacement is named. AOL currently is seeking replacements for that post and the position of Executive Vice President, Human Resources, both of which will report to Ripp. JAMES DE CASTRO, President of AOL Interactive Services business and the executive who oversees the flagship AOL service, will join Ripp and Ted Leonsis in a newly created Senior Strategy Group, which will set corporate goals and formulate strategies.
AOL Time Warner Inc. also said MICHAEL J. KELLY will return to the company as President of Global Marketing Solutions. Kelly worked for Time Inc. for 17 years before leaving to found American Town Network, a digital media company, in 2000. Kelly helped launch Time Inc.'s Entertainment Weekly, and served as publisher from 1996 to 2000. Kelly is replacing Myer Berlow as the Global Marketing Division's President. Berlow, who stepped down from day-to-day operations in February to become a Senior Adviser, had been the Global Marketing President since the completion of the AOL Time Warner merger in January 2001. Since February, Julie Kantorwitz, global marketing chief operating officer, had been the interim head of the group. She will remain operating chief.
Promotions at the American Town Network following the departure of Michael Kelly to head AOL’s cross-media ad sales: Executive Vice President SUSAN PANIAN has been upped to CEO, filling Kelly’s position, while fellow EVP DENNIS BLANKMichael Kelly, was the CEO of Whispering Pines, a catalog retailer, before joining ATN full time this May.
Euro RSCG Impact, a division of Euro RSCG Worldwide, announced its company's growth and expansion with new hires including the promotion of R.J. NELSON to President. In addition, CRISTIN DAVIS, JONATHAN AGIN, and CHUCK BURGE have been named to the New Business Development Team, TOM JACOBS was appointed Vice President of Sports and Entertainment Marketing, and BILL MEYER is the new Managing Director of the Euro RSCG Impact Chicago office.
NYCA has named three Vice Presidents: First, JULIE ERICH is the new Vice President, Director of Client Services. Erich previously worked at Chiat/Day on Infiniti and Taco Bell, leading the Chihuahua campaign, and at the Martin agency, in Virginia, she focused on Kellogg’s and Timberland.
Another VP appointment at NCYA: JOHN GRIMSHAW was named Vice President, Media Director. He previously worked at Weiden&Kennedy, where he supervised Nike’s print and broadcast planning. He will now direct all media planning and buying at NYCA.
Lastly at NYCA: PATRICK EMERICK was appointed Vice President, Associate Creative Director. Emerick will be actively involved with all NYCA clients and will help supervise the agency’s creative staff.
Initiative Media North America named former Foote, Cone & Belding Worldwide Media Director FRED WRAY Executive Vice President, Managing Director of Initiative Media, Central Region. Wray will be based in Chicago and oversee the Interpublic Group of Cos. media network's operations in Chicago, Cleveland and Dallas. Wray spent 20 years at FCB, rising to run the agency's $8 billion global media operation.
FRED PETITO has joined the New York office of Organic, inc. as Director of the Business Development Group, Petito comes to Organic from Luminant Worldwide, an eBusiness and interactive marketing services firm that was formerly part of the WPP Group company, Young & Rubicam, Inc., where he was a Principal, responsible for leading new business and client services teams for several Fortune 1000 clients including MasterCard International, Kraft Foods and L'Oreal.
Executive Director, Marketing Services at Vogue, PRIYA NARANG has been promoted to associate publisher, marketing at Vogue. Narang was the Senior VP, Media Planning Director at Dewitt Media prior to joining Vogue in 2000.
JEFF DUNETZ, formerly Publisher of Nickelodeon Magazine from 1999-2001, leading the magazine to its first ever appearance on the Adweek Hottest List, is returning to the magazine world as the Director of Advertising for Marvel Enterprises after spending the last 10 months as a freelance writer for aish.com.
T.M.I.-MultiMedia, an advertising agency for the transportation industry located in Brentwood, TN, announced the promotion of KELLEY WALKUP to Vice President & General Manager of T.M.I.-MultiMedia Recruiting. Walkup started with T.M.I.-MultiMedia in March 1999 and in 2001 assumed the position of Director of Advertising.
AdSpace Networks, Inc., a builder of digital place-based media networks for advertising and promotion in public spaces, has hired TOM KIERNAN as Vice President of Advertising Sales and Business Development. He brings to AdSpace more than 12 years' experience in media, marketing, sales, and global business development. Most recently he served as EVP of Sales and Marketing for Streaming Media Corporation.
High Voltage Interactive has announced the Director-level hiring of their New Media Buyer, SABRINA MEHROK, as well as the opening of a new office in New York City.
Continuing its expansion of advertising products and services, Google announced the appointment of S. CHRISTOPHER THEODOROS to lead advertising agency relations worldwide. In his new role, Theodoros will be in charge of developing and implementing Google's strategic policy for the advertising agency community. Theodoros joins Google from DoubleClick, Inc. where he served as Vice President, Global Marketing Strategies, Vice President, International Sales and Vice President, Sponsorship Sales.
JOE PHILPORT has been named President of the Traffic Audit Bureau for Media Measurement. Previously, Philport served as President of CMRinteractive and Executive Vice President of National Business for Competitive Media Reporting (CMR). Preceding CMR, Joe was the Senior Vice President of Corporate Research and Worldwide Director of Media Research for Young & Rubicam.
Grokster.com, a leading provider of peer-to-peer file sharing programs, has named SCOTT R. MOORE Vice President of New Media. Moore will oversee multiple initiatives that include launching a new department to develop an online sales strategy for online products, improving the design, and delivery processes for interactive services and implementing new methods that maximize Grokster's business goals and user experience. He will also be responsible for new product development. Prior to joining Grokster.com, Moore was Sales Director, New Media for Interplay Entertainment, one of the top video game publishers in the U.S.
PRIMEDIA's American Baby Group, the largest provider of information to new moms and dads, announced that JEFF CHRISTIAN has been named Associate Publisher. Christian comes to this position after beginning his tenure in the American Baby Group six years ago and brings an extensive background in advertising sales and marketing. Most recently he served as the Group Advertising Director.
Henninger Media Services, one of the nation's largest video, film and multimedia services providers, has named BRIAN J. KELLY Vice President. Kelly also retains his previous positions of Executive Producer and General Manager at Henninger Productions. Kelly joined Henninger Productions as Executive Producer at its launch in 1994 and was promoted to General Manager in 2001.
EyeWonder Inc., creator of instant streaming video technologies for the Internet and wireless devices, has appointed MICHAEL MCMULLEN, formerly President International Development, The Home Shopping Network to its Board of Advisors. McMullen will advise on matters relating to television, advertising, e-commerce and international development. McMullen was HSN President International Development from 1993 until 2001.
DAVID PLACIER has been named Vice President of Customer Marketing and Analysis for the Walt Disney Internet Group. In this position, he will lead all customer relationship management efforts at WDIG. Placier joins WDIG from McKinsey & Co. where, among other business in the marketing practice, he managed a significant customer relationship marketing consulting project for WDIG.
Rosenbluth International, a business-to-business travel management company, announced that GORDON LOCKE has been promoted to the position of Vice-President of Marketing and Business Development for North America. Locke's previous position was with Rosenbluth as Director of Marketing and Strategy.
Spanish Internet company Terra Lycos SA said it was reshuffling its senior management. JULIAN DE CABO, formerly Managing Director of Terra's Spanish unit, is leaving the company and will be replaced by INES LEOPOLDO, the Managing Director of Terra Argentina. The Managing Director of Terra Brazil, SILVIA DE JESUS, will take responsibility for the company's entire operations in Latin America. JAVIER MARTINEZ, who has held senior positions in Terra's divisions for access and services and in Latin America and Spain, will now head the company's global operations division.
