• January 23, 2008

Mobile search and advertising provider JumpTap has hired agency veteran Paran Johar as its first chief marketing officer.

Jahar joins JumpTap from MRM Worldwide, McCann's digital division, where he was executive vice president of digital marketing for North America and managing director of the Los Angeles office. Prior to MRM, Johar was general manager of the Los Angeles office of Tribal DDB for nearly six years.

His responsibilities included all online media, SEM and SEO, as well as M&A activity throughout Tribal DDB North America. Besides working with marketers to use JumpTap's mobile search and ad-serving systems, Johar will also open the Cambridge, Mass.-based company's New York City office. The New York Post reported Monday that JumpTap is among digital companies that could be soon acquired by WPP Group. The holding company took a 2.5% stake in JumpTap in early 2007.

--Mark Walsh