• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, May 3, 2010

Tim Hanlon, who stepped down as head of Publicis' VivaKi Ventures unit in October, has landed at Catalyst S+F, the San Francisco-based shop launched by a team of Carat renegades in 2007. Hanlon, one of Madison Avenue's best known digital gurus, especially when it comes to advanced television systems, will open a Chicago office for the up-and-coming agency, which positions itself as a new model for the advertising business.

In his new role, Hanlon will be responsible for the Catalyst S+F's venture investment and advisory strategies, as well as the lead consultant on advanced media issues.

That should be an apt role for Hanlon, who is known for his entrepreneurial spirit, and who has a long history with start-ups and venture capital firms specializing in advanced media and marketing services platforms.

Before running VivaKi's ventures group, Hanlon was part of the team that launched Publicis' elite media futures unit, Denuo, with its founder Rishad Tobaccowala. Before that he headed a number of digital media practices within Publicis' Starcom MediaVest Group, including its futuristic "TV 2.0 Practice," which focused on evolutionary TV advertising platforms, such as interactive, enhanced and addressable TV advertising initiatives.

Hanlon seems a good fit for Catalyst S+F, which was launched by former Carat digital executives John Durham and Cory Treffiletti, to develop new, more entrepreneurial methods for servicing brands, occasionally taking equity stakes in exchange for providing marketing services to promising start-ups. Catalyst S+F also has a roster of well-established brands, such as Del Monte Foods.

The expansion into Chicago follows the launch of a New York office late last year, under the direction of General Manager/Client Services Cody R. Duval.