Allan shuffles MediaCom deck

Global – Since Stephen Allan’s appointment as MediaCom Worldwide Chairman and chief executive officer (CEO), the group has announced several more key appointments aimed at strengthening its network.

US-based CEO Doug Checkeris will take on the leadership for the Northern America region with the task of cohesively managing resources and strategy across the region.

“Checkeris has been part of the MediaCom family for over 25-years having previously led our Canada operations which under his management developed into the largest and most successful media agency in the market,” Allan said in a release.

His appointment forms a complete regional leadership base with former UK CEO Nick Lawson recently being shipped to the hold the same position in the Europe, Middle East and Africa market.

“Another priority for me was to make sure that the network can live up to its goal of offering clients ‘Everything Everywhere” – all our services and tools in any territory.

“To do this, I’ve made some key new appointments expressly designed to ensure best practice across the network in terms of direct marketing, consumer insight and business science,” Allan said.

Among these are David Kyffin (managing director of direct and digital for GroupM) being appointed MediaCom Worldwide’s Global Chief Return on Investments (ROI) and Direct Marketing Officer.

His role focuses on direct and brand-responsive business growth, applying direct marketing principles to online and offline media planning.

MediaCom Worldwide has a new Chief Insight Officer in Mick Mernagh who will be responsible to keep actionable consumer insights at the heart of MediaCom’s communications.

Mernagh was Director of Consumer Insight at MediaCom UK and he will ensure the agency engages with the real world.

Signing up for the role of Global Business Science Officer of MediaCom Worldwide is Jeremy Griffiths from his director position for MediaCom UK.

He will be tasked to support and oversee the global Business Science network development and continue providing MediaCom’s clients with returns and unsurpassed accountability.

Mernagh and Griffiths whose appointments are affective January 2009, will report to worldwide chief operations officer and chief security officer Harvey Goldhersz.

Allan said there will be more appointments in client service, finance and marketing from MediaCom’s talent.

Julian Neuburger has been appointed Global Chief Client Services and will be responsible to ensure MediaCom’s international clients maintain growth by sourcing smarter ways of working and achieving efficiencies.

Three years after holding the chief financial officer position for GroupM UK, Simon Tray signs on for the same role at MediaCom Worldwide.

Tray joined MediaCom UK in 1999 and was promoted to Group Finance Director in 2003.

MediaCom Asia Pacific’s marketing head Ida Hemmingsson-Holl assumes the Global Marketing Director for MediaCom Global and will be working on both internal and external communications for the company and strengthen the network and brand worldwide.

“I believe that these appointments are a crucial step in further strengthening our international network.

“Our aim is to continue to remain ahead of the game in everything we do and we believe that our combination of excellent staff and innovative tools across the network will achieve this,” Allan added.