• by Joe Mandese , February 21, 2007

Havas MPG unit continues to restructure its senior management team, naming long-time broadcast chief Bill McOwen director of media investments. The move follows last month's promotion of Steve Lanzano to chief operating officer of MPG North America from general manager of its New York operations, and is seen as a part of a plan for better integration between Havas' traditional media operations and new media units like Media Contacts.

While McOwen will not have direct oversight over MPG's digital, print, out-of-home and Yellow Pages media units, he will be charged with taking a macro view and taking the lead on cross-platform deals involving all the Havas Media units.

The move comes as most other big media agency networks have formalized some type of chief investment officer role along similar lines, and as clients push their media shops to think more broadly about media and communications planning. It also comes as some clients are challenging the role of traditional broadcast media as the base buy in their media plans.

Previously, McOwen was executive vice president-director of broadcast at MPG, where he's been responsible for overseeing all national and regional TV buys for MPG clients, including Reckitt Benckiser, Outback Steakhouse and Royal Caribbean.

In a statement, MPG North America CEO Charlie Rutman acknowledged the move was inspired by recent shifts in the business, especially the rapid realignment of big, traditional media companies around "new media."