• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, January 6, 2012

Longtime, influential media-buying executive Donna Speciale will move across the table into a top sales role at Turner. Speciale, who holds a president’s role at MediaVest USA, joins as president of Turner’s entertainment and animation sales, overseeing sales at TNT, TBS and Cartoon Network.

Also, Turner said company veteran Greg D’Alba takes a new position -- president, news and Turner digital ad sales. He will continue to lead CNN sales, but adds oversight of digital sales with properties as far-reaching as NBA.com and AdultSwim.com. He still oversees Turner's direct-response business.

The moves follow the departure of Linda Yaccarino, who recently shifted into a top cable sales role at NBCUniversal.

Speciale is president of investment and activation and agency operations at MediaVest USA, heading national and local buying for clients such as P&G and Coke.

“Donna's vast experience on the agency side of the business, brand-management expertise and proven track record of innovation and creative thinking will be a great fit with Turner Broadcasting,” stated Turner’s President of Sales, Distribution and Sports David Levy.

As part of a broader realignment of the Turner sales group, other executives reporting to Levy include Coleman Breland, executive vice president and COO of Turner Network Sales; Lenny Daniels, executive vice president and COO of Turner Sports; and Michael Salerno, as executive vice president of strategic planning and operations. (Daniels will take on leadership of Turner Sports sales, with Jon Diament, an executive vice president, reporting to him.)

Walker Jacobs will now report to D’Alba in the digital sales realm as executive vice president of digital ad sales.