• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, November 13, 2013

Ellen Comley, former executive vice president and managing director at Havas Media, has been appointed Chief Media Officer at Waltham, MA-based Blitz Media, the agency said Wednesday.

A 30-year industry veteran, Comley is tasked in her new role with assessing and improving the agency’s offerings, while overseeing the management of all cross-channel media strategy, planning, and buying.  She will also lead strategy for existing client business and for agency new business development, the shop said.

Comley succeeds Mary McCarthy, who the agency said was leaving for personal reasons. McCarthy had been promoted to the role last December and will stay through a transition period. McCarthy and Comley worked together at Havas Media when it was still known as MPG (the agency rebranded earlier this year) and McCarthy played a role in introducing Comley to Blitz.

Comley left Havas Media in June after an 8-year stint. She most recently oversaw communication planning teams and managed clients in the agency’s North American portfolio including Fidelity, McDonald’s, Choice Hotels, Goodyear and AutoZone, among others.

Prior to Havas, Comley worked at a number of agencies across the country including BBDO, Mediacom, McCann, Modem Media and Goldberg Moser O’Neill on clients such as Apple, Dell, HP, Bank of America, VISA and Oracle.

“Having someone with Ellen’s background joining Blitz Media at this stage is a huge win for us and for our clients,” stated Blitz CEO Melissa Lea. “I am confident that Ellen’s leadership will make 2014 even stronger” than 2013 has been, Lea added.  

Blitz has won a number of new accounts this year, including Minuteman Health, WellBiz Brands, Sears Hometown & Outlet Stores, Harvard University Kennedy School Executive Education, Brain Shark, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay, and Project Treasure.  

The shop also recently resigned its Wendy’s account after doing a “profitability assessment.” The agency had worked with the QSR chain for more than 12 years.