• by Joe Mandese , April 27, 2006

Interpublic Media Group, the corporate-level unit created by giant Interpublic agency holding company Interpublic to oversee the operations of media units like Initiative Media, Magna Global, and Universal McCann, appears to be building its infrastructure by drawing heavily from Initiative. On Wednesday, Anaka Kobzev, supervisor-media relations and corporate communications at Initiative, announced that she has joined Interpublic Media as director of corporate communications. She follows Patty Kerr, who earlier this year jumped to senior vice president-director of communications at Interpublic Media, from executive vice president-director of communications at Initiative.

That the fledgling media unit finds a need for two high-level communications executives, when its peers at other agencies don't even have one dedicated to that function, is telling in itself. But their moves follow the shift of another high-profile Initiative executive, former Executive Vice President-Director of Global Research Integration, Stacey Lynn Koerner. In February, Interpublic announced that Koerner would become president of a new "consumer experience" unit that has been recruiting top-level researchers and analysts for several months. The new unit, which has officially been named the Consumer Experience Practice, or CEP, is expected to announce its first outside hires as soon as next week, and they promise to be some interesting picks.

Meanwhile, Initiative is not expected to replace Kerr, or Kobzev, but will have all of its communications handled by Vice President-Corporate Communications Leah Gross.