• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, November 15, 2006

Branding shop Siegel + Gale has brought on two new executives to strengthen its East Coast digital practice.

Stephanie Fogle has joined the shop as senior strategist, which involves developing and executing clients' interactive work, while Johanna Shalhoub will serve as vice president of East Coast business development.

Prior to joining Siegel + Gale, Fogle, 40, served as an account manager for interactive marketing agency Critical Mass, where she developed the online presence of Mercedes-Benz, among other clients.

Shalhoub, 34, meanwhile, most recently served as director of sales at Loyalty Lab, a company that provides technology for loyalty programs, and before that was a senior account executive at the digital advertising firm DoubleClick, Inc.

Part of the Omnicom Group, S+G, was among the first major Web site design shops. Founder and CEO Alan Siegel said the company made new hires in New York largely because of strong business growth in the region.

Fogle and Shalhoub are part of a larger effort by Siegel + Gale to build out its interactive capabilities. Last month, it brought on Douglas Stone, 45, as group director of interactive media, a new position. Formerly chief executive at Abstract Edge--a New York digital shop--Stone is leading S+G's East Coast interactive practice, working with the clients from American Express to Dell.

Other top-tier clients of S+G have included Lehman Brothers, Lexus, Sony, Merrill Lynch, Yahoo, Motorola, the National Basketball Association, and 3M.