• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, September 3, 2013

Interpublic Group media agency Initiative has tapped well-regarded media and marketing veteran Wendy Aldrich to oversee the shop’s recently won global Amazon assignment. She’ll be based at the shop’s Los Angeles office.

Aldrich, who will hold the title of Executive Vice President, Global Managing Partner, was most recently with Omnicom Group’s OMD in Los Angeles, where she was Global Account Director for the Visa account, a post she assumed in 2009. While there she led key global initiatives including the brand’s FIFA and Olympics campaigns and its U.S.-based sponsorship with the National Football League.

Aldrich also oversaw global partnerships with Facebook, Twitter and Google and integrated digital and traditional planning disciplines on the Visa account.

“The minute, no actually it was the second that we met Wendy we knew she belonged on our team,” said Initiative Global CEO Jim Elms. He described her as “fast, brave and decisive,” and an executive that will “make running a complex global account more simple.”

At Initiative Aldrich will oversee all aspects of the Amazon account including strategy, planning and analytics in all markets worldwide. Initiative SVP Anne Marie Yanez, also based in Los Angeles, will continue to run the Amazon business in North America reporting to Aldrich. 

Initiative won the Amazon assignment in May after a review. The company’s estimated global ad spending is close to $500 million. In the U.S., the online retailer spent nearly $300 million on ads in 2012, per Kantar.

Prior to OMD Aldrich was Director, Global New Media for Disney Parks & Resorts. Earlier she was Director, Marketing at Ticketmaster/IAC. She began her career at ad shop Rubin Postaer.