• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, March 7, 2013

Y&R has tapped one of its own -- Matt Anthony -- to succeed Carter Murray as North American CEO, the WPP agency network has confirmed.

Murray was tapped by IPG’s Draftfcb Wednesday to become its next CEO, replacing Laurence Boschetto. Draftfcb’s search for a new leader had been ongoing since last fall.

Anthony was a co-founder of VML, the Y&R digital shop and served as its CEO until 2011, when he named Jon Cook as his successor. He will remain chairman emeritus at VML while taking on the broader Y&R NA CEO duties, the agency said. He was already a member of the Y&R Executive Committee and familiar with the agency’s operations and strategy.

David Sable, Y&R’s global CEO, cited Anthony’s track record at building VML as an indicator of his entrepreneurial, managerial and creative abilities. “He has a passion for life, for building a great workplace culture, a zest for new business and is an exceptionally generous teacher.”

For the last six months, Anthony has been working on special projects for Y&R Australia. He co-founded VML in 1992 and led its development into one of the country’s top full-service digital agencies. It was bought by WPP in 2001.

VML, based in Kansas City, MO, has around 700 staffers with offices in New York, Seattle and London and other overseas markets.