• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, December 13, 2013

Interpublic’s McCann Worldgroup today named Luca Lindner President making him the clear number two at the agency network.  Lindner was previously President for the Americas, Middle East and Africa.

The promotion comes after the departure last month of Gustavo Martinez for WPP’s JWT, where he is slated to become global CEO of the agency in 2015.

Over the past year Martinez and Linder were part of a three-person Office of the Chairman that was led by McCann World Group CEO Harris Diamond.  Lindner had overseen the Americas, Middle East and Africa while Martinez had responsibility for Europe and Asia Pacific.   

Now Lindner will be responsible for McCann’s businesses throughout the world, the agency confirmed.  Currently there are no plans to fill the roles previously held by him or Martinez.  

“Luca is a true globalist and has established himself as one of the industry’s most experienced multiplatform and global marketing leaders,” said Diamond, who replaced Nick Brien as CEO, McCann Worldgroup in November of 2012.  “He has been a key architect behind the success of McCann.”

Lindner first joined McCann in August 2004 as CEO of McCann Mexico and Deputy Regional Director of Latin America/Caribbean, and then rose to become Regional Director the next year.  Prior to joining McCann, he served as Vice Chairman of Leo Burnett EMEA and President of Burnett's Fiat Coordination Center. Lindner previously spent four years as CEO of the Conquest & Red Cell Network in Europe. He began his agency career at TBWA in Paris, and then served as Managing Director of TBWA Rome and Client Service Director of TBWA Italy.

McCann Worldgroup has 23,000 employees in more than 120 countries comprising McCann Erickson, digital shop MRM,  event marketing specialist Momentum, McCann Health, production unit CRAFT, media agency UM,  PR shop Weber Shandwick and consulting and design firm FutureBrand.