Omnicom is streamlining its board of directors to eleven, cutting seven insiders from a group that has remained essentially unchanged since the holding company's founding in 1986, sources said. Those departing the board, effective after the May annual meeting are: KEITH REINHARD of DDB Worldwide, ALLEN ROSENSHINE of BBDO Worldwide, JIM CANNON, CFO of BBDO Worldwide, BERNARD BROCHAND of DDB Worldwide; THOMAS HARRISON, chairman, CEO, Diversified Agency Services; MICHAEL GREENLEES, EVP, Omnicom and JEAN-MARIE DRU, CEO of TBWA Worldwide.

JACQUELINE LAJOIE has been named Chief Operating Officer at McGill Associates, Dallas.

HILARY A. SCHNEIDER, CEO of Red Herring Communications, has been named president and chief executive of Knight Ridder Digital and VP of Knight Ridder, effective April 29.

The American Association of Advertising Agencies today elected its Officers and Board of Directors for 2002-2003. This year’s chairman of the AAAA Board of Directors is KEN KAESS, president and chief executive officer of DDB Worldwide. JAMES R. HEEKIN, chairman and chief executive officer of McCann Erickson WorldGroup was elected vice chairman, and MARSHA LINDSAY, president and chief executive officer of Lindsay, Stone & Briggs Advertising, Inc., Madison, Wisconsin, is the secretary-treasurer for an unprecedented second term. AAAA President and Chief Executive Officer O. BURTCH DRAKE also serves as a member of the Board of Directors.

DOUGLAS KILGOUR has been named Vice President, Sales and Marketing at Catuity, Inc. Kilgour was most recently Vice President for Financial Services at Xdrive Technologies He replaces Rob Kosnick, who has left the company.

DAVE PEKTAS has been hired as the Associate Media Director on the Lincoln Mercury account at The Mediaedge: CIA Irvine.

MITCH JOEL has joined the Verrecchia Group Communications Inc. as an Account Director. Prior to joining the Verrecchia Group, Joel was the Director of Advertising & Sponsorship at Mamma.com - The Mother Of All Search Engines.

MICHAEL J. LEVINE, formerly a senior sales and marketing executive at SFX Sports Group and The Marquee Group, has been appointed Chief Operating Officer of Van Wagner Communications' new Sports & Entertainment division.

ANNE HUNTER has been named to the newly created position of Director of Sales at Tacoda Systems. Before joining Tacoda Systems, Hunter was Director of Sales and Ad Operations at 24/7 Real Media.

DAN FINNIGAN, President of Knight Ridder Digital, has left to become senior vice president of Yahoo! Inc. and executive vice president and general manager of HotJobs.com, which was acquired by Yahoo! in February.