• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, January 10, 2011

Time Inc. on Monday announced the creation of a new "Branded Solutions" unit, which combines Time Inc. corporate sales and marketing with Time Inc. digital corporate sales operations. The sales, marketing and creative organization will be led by Leslie Picard, who most recently served as president of Time Inc. corporate sales and marketing.

"More than ever, we'll be focused on branded programs and ideas that add value for our clients." As head of corporate sales and marketing since 2008, Picard is credited with growing Time Inc's operations, and leading it to several industry honors.

Kirk McDonald, who had led Time Inc. Digital corporate sales, has decided to leave the company to pursue what a company representative called "other opportunities."

Late last year, Time Inc. also lost Wayne Powers, its top display ad salesman in North America, to Yahoo. Powers -- who had been president of the media group of Time Inc., the consumer magazine division of Time Warner -- was responsible for launching the Time Inc. Digital Network, and developing integrated digital and analog sales across all of the magazines' online and offline properties.

Around the same time, Time Inc. said it was revamping its corporate sales and marketing structure, promoting Stephanie George to executive vice president and chief marketing officer, and Paul Caine as executive vice president and chief revenue officer.

In her new role, George manages overall positioning of Time Inc. and expansion of marketing services, while overseeing Time Inc. Content Solutions, Media Networks Inc. and Targeted Media Networks, Research & Insights and corporate communications.