• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, February 6, 2007

Interpublic Group Monday named Bant Breen, a rising digital star within its corporate ranks, as president of its Futures Marketing Group. Breen, 35, had been director of strategic development, and has been a key player in Interpublic's investments into emerging media, including its stakes in Facebook.com and Spot Runner.

The Futures Marketing Group is a catch all unit combining disparate media and marketing services--especially below-the-line services--into a new futures focused entity designed to drive client business, and new business for Interpublic. Among other things, the unit has absorbed Interpublic's Emerging Media Lab, which had been housed under the now defunct Consumer Experience Practice.

Breen, who reports to Interpublic Executive Vice President-Strategy and Network Operations Stephen Gatfield and Executive Vice President and Corporate Relations Philippe Krakowsky, is said to be closely aligned with Universal McCann CEO Nick Brien, and has played a role in reengineering Universal's organization, including the development of new research and communications planning services.

Before joining Interpublic last year, Breen was founder and president of Bant Breen LLC, a strategic marketing and communications consultancy affiliated with Dentsu. Before that, he was with Leo Burnett Worldwide for five years.