MediaPost Publications - People on the Move 04/29/2003

Deutsch Inc. has announced four promotions across two coasts. PATRICK BENSON, GEORGE DECKER and KIRSTEN WARD have recently been named Vice Presidents at Deutsch NY. At Deutsch LA, CATHRYN PROVINE has been promoted to Vice President, Director of Broadcast Business Affairs. Previously Associate Interactive Media Director, Benson is responsible for developing integrated online and offline media planning and buying solutions on behalf of clients such as Bank of America, MCI, Revlon, Snapple and Starwood. Promoted from Associate Creative Director, Decker joined iDeutsch in 2002 and currently works on MCI, Novartis, Snapple and Starwood. Promoted from Vice President, Group Director of Broadcast Business & Licensing, Provine has been with Deutsch since 1998 and will continue to oversee Licensing and Business Management with the addition of Traffic/Residuals and Clearance bringing all four departments under one umbrella. Lastly, Ward was promoted from Associate Media Director and joined the agency in 1999 after a five-year stint at McCann-Erickson. Ward presently handles the Revlon business.
TBS Superstation and TNT are being consolidated under STEVE KOONIN, who will head both businesses as executive vice president and chief operating officer of TBS Superstation and TNT. DENNIS QUINN, executive vice president and general manager of TBS Superstation since 1999, will now serve as executive vice president for the company’s Operations & Strategy unit. Koonin, who joined TBS, Inc. in 2000 as executive vice president and general manager of TNT, spent 14 years at The Coca-Cola Company, ultimately serving as vice president of consumer marketing.
KURT RITTER, a veteran of General Motors Corp., will join Saatchi & Saatchi. Ritter will take the new post of CEO for the Toyota brand's North American account, overseeing Saatchi's key management team at its Torrance, Calif., office.
Starcom MediaVest Group, New York, has named ADAM GERBER to the post of senior vice president and group director for strategy and innovation. Gerber comes to the company from The Digital Edge, New York, where he was senior vice president and director of media strategy. Gerber will work on the Procter & Gamble Co. brands and explore new media advertising opportunities, interactive advertising and other emerging platforms for the brand.
Hill, Holliday has announced the appointment of KEVIN COX as VP, Group Account Director in the agency's San Francisco office. Cox will manage Hill, Holliday's technology accounts including Sybase and VERITAS, and will play a key role in attracting new technology business to the agency's West Coast office. He replaces PATRICK GODFREY, who left to pursue other interests. Prior to joining Hill, Holliday, Cox was VP, Director of Strategy & Integrated Marketing at Doremus & Company, San Francisco.
Wunderman New York has named ELLEN RYAN EVP, Director of Integrated Services. Ryan has developed and managed business-to-business and business-to-consumer programs including DTC, Customer Experience Management, and agent training for clients including AT&T, Citibank, Astra Zeneca, Pfizer, Showtime, and Xerox. Ryan joined Wunderman in 1990, and was previously EVP Managing Director of Customer Dialog Group.
JOSEPH MASUCCI has been named Director, OHAL, Mediaedge:cia's media modeling team. Masucci will be responsible for measuring marketing effectiveness and optimizing marketing allocations in the most cost effective channels for clients. He will also help Mediaedge:cia in leveraging Y&R's Brand Asset Valuator, a proprietary tool for building and managing brand equity. Masucci joins Mediaedge:cia from Grey Insight Partners where he was partner at the company. Also at Mediaedge:cia, CATHY GOODIN has been appointed Managing Partner, Account Director. Goodin will be responsible for managing all media planning and buying for AT&T Consumer and AT&T Business as well as all national media planning and buying for Dr Pepper/7 UP. Prior to Mediaedge:cia, Goodin worked at Saatchi & Saatchi as Executive Vice President/Director of Communications Planning where her clients included Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, USB Paine Webber.
SUSAN BRATTON, former Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Excite@Home’s media business, has taken the helm of marketing and sales for Mailblocks, a new spam-free, Web-based email service.
AOL has hired JESSICA HOWARD as an associate account manager. Howard will oversee and maintain client accounts as well as work directly with their sales force. Most recently, Howard served as media supervisor for NetPlus Marketing, Inc. Also at AOL, RICHARD TAYLOR has been named senior vice president of brand promotion. In the newly created post, Taylor will develop brand promotions and will lead teams responsible for executing those promotions. Taylor previously spent nine years at Burger King, where he was responsible for branding, positioning, strategic development, advertising, promotion, media and merchandising.
BILL MATTHEWS has returned to I/PRO to become President of the company. Matthews spent 16 years at A.C. Nielsen and was one of the original architects of I/PRO who joined the company in 1996 and built, managed, and developed their Account Management and Sales organizations up through 2000.
Lifetime Entertainment Services has promoted LISA BLACK to Vice President, Business & Marketing Development, Lifetime Online, and KRIS SOUMAS to Vice President, Content Development, New Media. In her new role, Black will develop online business and marketing initiatives that will include partnership development, brand extensions for Lifetimetv.com and program and marketing integration. Previously she was Director, Business Marketing & Development, Lifetime Online. Soumas will now be responsible for content development, including advocacy and programming, along with developing New Media elements in the areas of VOD, enhanced TV and wireless. Previously she was Director, Content Development, New Media. Before joining Lifetime in 1999, Soumas worked for ABC Television.
Interep announced that GEORGE PINE and ARNOLD SHEIFFER have been named to its Board of Directors. Prior to assuming the position of President/COO of Interep, Pine was President of ABC Radio Sales. In that position, he was accountable for ABC's national radio sales and marketing. Sheiffer is the Chairman of Petry Media Corporation, and previously served as Managing Director of Sandler Capital Management.
Entrepreneur Media Inc. has promoted BRIAN KENNEDY to the newly created position of Eastern Advertising Director. Kennedy moves to Entrepreneur's New York office from the Irvine office, where he worked as the Los Angeles Manager since July 2001. He will be responsible for all of the print and online sales generated out of the New York office.
The VIA Group has named DAVID ABEND Creative Director of both its Boston and Portland offices. Prior to joining the agency, Abend, was Creative Director with Harpell and also was an Associate Creative Director with Arnold Worldwide.
Christie Communications has named JENNIFER BURNETT (left) and CHRISTINA POTTER (right) as Account Assistants. Burnett assists clients in the natural products and beverages industry, and provides marketing support to clients such as Wisdom Herbs and Shady Maple Farms. Potter is responsible for launching foreign products in the US market, and her accounts include Ame-Britvic from the UK and Blue Galleon from Portugal.
Intermedia Advertising Group, a research company that monitors and rates the effectiveness of television ads on a daily basis, announced that PHILLIP H. GEIER JR. (pictured) is joining IAG's Board of Directors, ROBERT A. LANE, has been named Chief Financial Officer, JEFFREY S. TODDER has been appointed Vice President, Director of Research, and KATE PASCASIO has joined the company as Director of Client Services, Eastern Region. Most recently, Lane served as CFO to Telephia, Inc. and serves on its Board of Directors. Previously, Todder was Vice President, Client Services for NFO's Brand Performance and Strategy Group. Before joing IAG, Pascasio was Vice President Sales, Research, and Marketing for UPN. In that role, Pascasio managed the marketing and research functions for the advertising sales division of a broadcast network.
O2ideas, Inc., has announced a restructuring plan, including a number of management shifts, aimed at strengthening its operations to meet an expanding client base. The multicultural agency announced that SHELLEY STEWART, formerly vice-chairman and chief consulting officer, has been named chairman and chief executive officer of the agency. JOHN ZIMMERMAN, formerly chairman and chief creative officer, becomes president and chief creative officer and RAY DONNELLY, formerly chief executive officer, becomes executive vice president and chief marketing officer.