• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, August 21, 2008

The head of GroupM's UK operations will take over global operations for one of the umbrella group's agencies. Stephen Allan, CEO of GroupM UK, becomes Chairman-CEO of MediaCom Worldwide.

Allan takes over for Alexander Schmidt-Vogel, who was tapped by GroupM to take on a newly created role as CEO global trading.

The role marks a return to MediaCom for Allan, who was managing director at UK independent shop TMB when it was acquired by MediaCom in 1999. He then became CEO of the newly combined agency. In addition, from 2003-2005, he was vice chairman of MediaCom Worldwide.

MediaCom became part of GroupM when WPP purchased it three years ago.

Schmidt-Vogel said that "the TMB management was one of the best reasons" that MediaCom acquired it.