People on the Move
Wednesday, October 9, 2002

  • America Online has appointed GERALD SOKOL, JR. to the new post of Executive Vice President of AOL International. Previously he wass SVP and GM of International Operations, and oversaw global activities, including the development of strategic alliances, new markets and new products, business planning, marketing, e-commerce and advertising. The company has also promoted GREG CONSIGLIO, VP of AOL International, to Senior Vice President of that division. As VP of AOL International, Consiglio was responsible for opening AOL offices in Hong Kong and Beijing and overseeing the company's Asia Pacific business.

  • Reuters Group, the information, news and technology company, said that NIALL FITZGERALD, Joint Chairman and CEO of Unilever, will join the Reuters Board as a Non-Executive Director in 2003. Reuters also announced the resignation of Dennis Malamatinas as a Non-Executive Director.

  • New hires at Saatchi & Saatchi’s LA office: BONNIE CHAN is the new Integrated Communications Director…

  • And JIM HELBERG is the new Director of Media Operations. Both Chan and Helberg will work with the office’s major clients including Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., and Procter & Gamble.

  • Frankel, Chicago, a promotions agency, promoted RICHARD THOMAS to President-CEO. Thomas, who was Executive Vice President, succeeds Jim Mack, who continues as Group Chairman, but will step out of the day-to-day management role he assumed in January. Thomas joined Frankel in 1993 as VP Business Development, and later assumed the roles of VP in charge of building the agency’s non-promotional services, and VP in charge of repositioning direct marketing, database marketing and digital marketing capabilities. Earlier, he held various marketing and management posts at Donnelley Marketing and Johnson & Johnson.

  • Palisades Media Group announced the addition of Senior Media Buyer, STEPHANIE BERNARDO, to their Santa Monica office. Bernardo will be responsible for spot radio, television and cable media buys for PMG's business department. She comes to PMG from La Agencia De Orci & Asociados where she was Hispanic Market Broadcast Media Buyer. In this capacity, she worked on accounts for the Verizon Corporation, Honda Regional, Pepsico/Gamesa and Tampico Orange Drink in the Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Tampa and Washington DC.

  • Yum Brands' Pizza Hut hired TOM JAMES as Chief Marketing Officer. James is a 14-year veteran of Interpublic Group of Cos.' Avrett Free & Ginsberg, New York, where he served most recently as Senior Executive Group Account Director.

  • More new hires in fast food: El Pollo Loco this week named KAREN EADON its new Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. Eadon, who was Vice President of U.S. Marketing in charge of menu innovation at McDonald’s Corp., succeeds Margaret Jenkins who in June left the midscale family dining chain to join Denny’s Corp. as its Chief Marketer. Eadon has also held Senior Marketing posts with Applebee’s International, Arco Products Co., Carl Karcher Enterprises, Taco Bell Corp. and W.R. Grace Fast Food Division.

  • Sears, Roebuck & Co. named former eToys and PepsiCo executive JANINE BOUSQUETTE Executive Vice President and Chief Customer and Marketing Officer. At eToys Bousquette held the post of Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, and prior to that she had marketing roles at Pepsi-Cola Co. and Procter & Gamble Co.

  • True Measure Media has hired former radio executive, JUDD NESMITH as New Business Director. NeSmith has spent over 10 years in radio, and was previously President of Z50 Radio, a company that produced customized radio shows for national advertisers.

  • Google Inc. this week announced the appointment of Canadian advertising and publishing veteran, WENDY MULLER, as head of the company’s Canadian advertising sales and operations. Most recently, Muller was the Chairman of DoubleClick Canada, where she led the overall growth and operations for the region. Prior to DoubleClick, she held numerous high-level positions in the advertising and publishing community.

  • Media Solution Services Inc., an insert media company and a subsidiary of Havas, announced this week that GEOFF JUDGE has joined the Company as COO. Judge will be responsible for overall business results and will also focus on the Billing Statement Media business as well as finance and operations. Prior to joining Media Solution Services, Judge was a Co-Founder of 24/7 Real Media where he was SVP and General Manager of the Media Division.

  • MARK SIMONTON has become Director, Client Services at J. Walter Thompson Atlanta. Simonton, a Senior Partner with accountability for a number of the firm's clients, including Norfolk Southern Railroad, Inc. and Orkin Exterminating Company, Inc., will broaden his responsibilities in the Atlanta office. He is an 18-year veteran of J. Walter Thompson.

  • JOHN WOODWARD has been promoted to Regional Planning Director for the Leo Burnett Asia Pacific region. He was previously Planning Director for the Greater China and ASEAN region.

  • GARY LAPAGE has been appointed the new Media Director at the Orlando-based advertising agency PUSH. LaPage came to PUSH from Fry, Hammond, Barr, where he was Group Media Director.

  • Also, LINDA KOVARIK has been named Regional Planning Director of Procter & Gamble Beauty Care at Leo Burnett Hong Kong.

  • Essence Communications Partners has appointed ROBERT L. HAWKINS to the position of Chief Marketing Officer. He will be responsible for developing and executing new marketing programs to drive incremental advertising pages, promoting the Essence Music Festival and the Essence Awards, as well as providing marketing support for new magazine and product development. Prior to joining Essence, Hawkins served as Senior Vice President of Marketing at Bee-Alive, Inc., a health and nutritional products company based in New York.

  • Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. announced that RAY HOPKINS will join the company as Executive Vice President of Affiliate Sales and Marketing. Hopkins will be responsible for Gemstar-TV Guide’s entire interaction with U.S. cable and satellite providers. Hopkins comes to Gemstar from Fox Cable Networks where he served as Senior Vice President, Affiliate Sales and Marketing.

  • AMD this week announced the appointment of PATRICK MOORHEAD to Vice President of Corporate Marketing. Morrhead joined AMD in 2000 as Vice President of Desktop and Mobile Strategic Marketing for its Computation Products Group. He later assumed the position of Vice President of Customer Advocacy.

  • Canadian i-shop Blast Radius has hired a General Manager and two Directors of Business Development for its New York office. DROR LIWER joins the company as Vice President, General Manager. Prior to joining Blast Radius, Liwer was the Senior Vice President, Head of Technology at Digitas in New York for one year. Blast Radius has also brought on MARC KAPLAN and DJ EDGERTON as Directors of Business Development. Kaplan comes from Globix Corporation, a New York-based Internet technology company where he was Director of U.S. Sales, Operations and Channel Development.

  • Demantra, the leader in consumer demand-driven supply chain solutions, announced the appointment of JAMES BIERE MARCEAU to Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Operations. Marceau brings to Demantra leadership experience in the areas of business, consulting, technology, logistics and supply chain management. Prior to Demantra, Marceau was Senior Vice President and Global Managing Partner with iXL/Scient, where he directed large engagements primarily in transportation, logistics, consumer packaged goods and financial services.

  • FirstFireworks Group, LTD, the global entertainment advisory firm, specializing in strategic integrated marketing and business development, has acquired CPM Entertainment, LLC, naming CPM's founder JONATHAN SCHRETER Vice President at FFG. Schreter will oversee all of FFG's marketing and business development activities, impacting the company's strategic direction. Prior to FFG, Schreter founded CPM Entertainment, a consulting agency dedicated to converging brand and product marketing strategies with entertainment equities.

  • Topspin Communications, a technology startup, announced that PATRICK CONTE has joined the company as Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Field Operations. Conte comes to Topspin with more than 20 years experience in sales management, channel development, OEM, corporate, product, and channel marketing. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President and General Manager of Worldwide Sales and Marketing with NetScaler, Inc.