TOM SASSOS, Chairman of WPP Group's Mediaedge:cia North America, has left the company to take a position on the board of MediaAnalysisPlus, the Denver, Colorado-based media audit firm. Sassos began his career at BBDO as a Media Researcher and went on to become Planning Group Head at Ogilvy & Mather. He launched VSM Media with partners in 1988, and in 1998 the agency was sold to UK-based Tempus Group.

BRIAN HEFFERNAN will step down as President of J. Walter Thompson Co.'s fourth-largest office. Heffernan is leaving the agency after four years at the helm of the WPP Group, but he will aid in the transition. Heffernan joined JWT, Detroit, in 1985 as an Account Manager and has served in several posts for the agency, including Executive Vice President and Director of Global Business Development in New York. Until the agency finds a successor, Bob Jeffrey, President of J. Walter Thompson North America, will lead the office.

French Internet services provider Wanadoo SA Monday confirmed the appoinment of ERIC ABENSUR as Chief Executive of its U.K. unit, Freeserve. In July, Abensur replaced John Pluthero, who left the company to join Energis PLC . Abensur was Chief Financial Officer of Freeserve between spring 2001 and July of this year, when he was named acting CEO of the company.

Veteran San Francisco advertising executive JOHN GEOGHEGAN will take over as President of Interpublic Group of Cos.' Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos, San Francisco, at the end of the month. Geoghegan succeeds Nancy Hill, who this summer moved to Hill Holliday's New York office as a managing partner and head of the agency's Verizon account for the Northeast region. Geoghegan was General Manager of WPP's J. Walter Thompson, San Francisco, during a time when the office had among its clients the $150 million Sprint account. He later became CEO of CareGuide.com, which provided information about care for children and elders.

Fallon Worldwide, Minneapolis, shifted responsibilities for several of its senior managers, a sign that a plan to line up possible successors to Chairman Pat Fallon is being mapped out. DAVID LUBARS takes over North American responsibilities as President and Executive Creative Director, and will be responsible for the Minneapolis, New York and Los Angeles creative units. Lubars was formerly Co-President and Executive Creative Director for the Minneapolis office. ERIC BLOCK becomes Chief Operating Officer of Fallon Worldwide, from General Manager of the flagship Minneapolis office. He will oversee all the agency's global business units with responsibility to drive growth and …

Meredith Corporation also announced that DORENE BARILE has been promoted to Director of Marketing Innovation, for the Meredith Publishing Group. Barile has been with Meredith for four and a half years, most recently serving as Senior Account Manager for Ladies' Home Journal. Before joining Meredith, she served as Account Manager of Woman's Day Special Interest Publications and as an Account Executive for the GETKO Group.

Direct Response Television industry leaders, GERALD BAGG, RENEE HILL, PETER SMAHA and BRUCE SOMERS announced the formation of Quigley-Simpson & Heppelwhite, Inc., a full-service direct response advertising agency specializing in media placement and production. The company opened its doors for business on September 3, 2002. Bagg, Hill, Smaha and Somers have each been associated with DRTV campaigns for more than fifteen years. Bagg heads the company as President while Renee Hill serves as Executive Vice President, overseeing company operations and client services. Peter Smaha and Bruce Somers head the creative side, functioning as Executive Creative Director and Executive Producer respectively.

ARTHUR SELKOWITZ, BCOM3 Group's Vice Chairman and Chief Client Officer, plans to retire at the end of the year, the company said. Selkowitz had been Chairman-CEO of D'Arcy Worldwide when he was named to his current post in 2000 following the merger of the MacManus Group and the Leo Group that formed what is now Bcom3 Group. He began his career with Benton & Bowles in 1971 and has been with the agency for all but seven years, when he ran his own shop, Penchina, Selkowitz, from 1983 to 1989. Selkowitz rejoined his former shop in 1990 after it had …

Interpublic Group of Cos.' DraftWorldwide reorganized its executive ranks in anticipation of President-Chief Operating Officer Jordan Rednor's move to an unspecified position at the holding company. DAVID FLORENCE, previously president of DraftWorldwide, New York, was promoted to International President in charge of Draft's offices in 30 countries outside the U.S. Succeeding Florence as President of the New York office is LAURENCE BOSCHETTO, previously General Manager of the 400-person shop. Boschetto became General Manager in 1997 when his agency, Adler Boschetto Peebles, was acquired by Draft.

Cordiant announced that the Chairman, CHARLIE SCOTT has confirmed his intention to leave the company once a successor has been identified. Scott had agreed with the Board last year that he wanted to hand over his position during 2003, having spent 13 years working for the Group. The Board has asked Scott to lead the search for his replacement and that exercise is currently underway. Scott intends to step down once the current management transition at Cordiant is complete and a new Chairman has been appointed.