• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, January 7, 2016

Paul Woolmington, a former top Madison Avenue media exec who founded MDC’s The Media Kitchen and the U.S. operations of Naked, has come back to the media services industry as CEO of Canvas Worldwide, a joint venture of independent media giant Horizon Media and creative services network Innocean Worldwide.

The role, which is effective Jan. 18, marks Woolmington’s return to the business after stepping down as head of Naked’s North American operations in October 2012.

Woolmington, who conceived and successfully launched The Media Kitchen in 2001, left to join Naked in 2006. He previously was the top media executive at Young & Rubicam, The Media Edge (now MEC) and Ammirati Puris Lintas and is known for non-conventional communications planning approaches to media.

Woolmington, who will work out of Canvas’ Los Angeles and New York offices, most recently has been working as a consultant to a number of marketers, media and agencies, serves on a number of boards and is an active angel investor.