• by David Kaplan , October 19, 2004

McCann Erickson is promoting Joyce King Thomas from her current position as executive creative director to chief creative officer of the agency's New York office. Additionally, Nina DiSesa--who had the posts of chairman and chief creative officer--remains chairman, with expanded responsibilities.

The details of DiSesa's new duties will entail moving away from day-to-day operations, which will be handled by Thomas, and will allow DiSesa to concentrate more on managing client relationships and long-term creative work, a McCann rep said.

A 20-year industry veteran, Thomas, 48, has received wide notice as the creator of the MasterCard "Priceless" campaign, among others. She began her advertising career as a writer in the Midwest, before moving to New York for creative posts at Wells Rich Greene, then Young & Rubicam, and then to Wells Rich Greene again, where she rose to creative managing partner.

DiSesa, 58, has been named one of Fortune magazine's "50 Most Powerful Women in Business." She started in the ad industry at Cargill, Wilson and Acree in Richmond, Va., moved to New York to work at Young & Rubicam, and in 1987 joined McCann Erickson--for the first time--as senior vice president and group creative director. Four years later she joined J. Walter Thompson as executive vice president and executive creative director, where she was considered part of a turnaround team that revamped the creative department, and strengthened and expanded new business initiatives and client relationships. In 1994, DiSesa returned to McCann as executive vice president and executive creative director, and four years later was elevated to chairman, chief creative officer

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