• by Fern Siegel , May 12, 2009

Mindshare vet Phil Cowdell has been named head of Mindshare North America, the agency's largest market. Cowdell replaces Scott Neslund. He reports to Mindshare Worldwide CEO Dominic Proctor.

Prior to his appointment, Cowdell was one of Mindshare's global client leaders. In that capacity, he oversaw marketing communications for key clients, and was charged with implementing new agency ideas and practices.

Cowdell has been equally involved in new business development, spearheading Mindshare's global pitch for Intercontinental Hotels Group, which it won in March.

As head of Mindshare North America, Cowdell will oversee Mindshare operations in five U.S. cities and Canada. The agency has almost 600 employees and an estimated $8.6 billion in billings, according to RECMA.

Proctor said Cowdell's global expertise and accomplishments are "virtually unsurpassed within Mindshare's current ranks."

Previously, Cowdell led the media operation of Team Detroit, the joint venture between WPP agencies JWT, Young & Rubicam, Ogilvy & Mather, Wunderman and Mindshare that services the Ford Motor Co., which accounted for more than $3 billion in billings.

He also headed planning for Mindshare in London, where he ran the global Unilever business, and supervised the Procter & Gamble account at Starcom MediaVest in London, handling local planning and buying. Earlier in his career, Cowdell also worked at Saatchi & Saatchi and Zenith.