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Top Hires of the Week

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WPP

WPP has appointed Roberto Quarta to its board (starting in January), and are planning to have him step into the role of chairman next summer. The current chairman of Smith & Nephew and IMI will succeed former US ambassador to the UK Philip Lader, who joined the board as chairman in 2001. WPP has officially been looking for a successor for Lader since April, and has always said it would complete the process by the end of 2014. We're cutting it a little close here, but it seems they kept their word. One major caveat to the announcement is that Quarta won't be taking up his chairmanship of WPP until a replacement has been found for him at IMI and a “Suitable transition period” has passed. This is expected to be by June 2015 at the very latest.

WPP has appointed Roberto Quarta to its board, and are planning to have him step into the role of chairman next summer

Quarta has been described by one business associate as “A global guy for a global company,” with 15 years worth of experience in the private equity world, which has broadened his horizons as an industrial heavyweight. Lader, who had a large hand in selecting his successor, said that the 65-year old Italian-American “Brings to WPP extensive, diverse experience in corporate governance and global commerce.” He believes this move completes WPP's “Refreshment of the board, which over the last three years has seen the appointment of 10 internationally recognised business leaders from four continents and the phased retirement of long-serving directors.” Sir Martin Sorrell, WPP's CEO, said Quarta 's background would “Complement and help develop WPP’s strategy in new markets, in new media, in data investment management and the application of technology.”

Publicis Hawkeye

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Dallas-based integrated advertising and digital agency, Publicis Hawkeye, has named Helen Prokos as its new group creative director. She'll bring her 20-plus years of brand-building and CRM agency experience to the agency's B2C and B2B accounts, effective immediately. Prokos is an award-winning creative, who has worked on some of the world's leading brands (American Express, BP, Duncan Hines, GSK, Hudson's Bay Company, Kraft, Nestle, Nissan) for some of the world's leading agencies (OgilvyOne, Saatchi & Saatchi, TBWA\Chiat\Day).

Publicis Hawkeye, has named Helen Prokos as its new group creative director

Prokos says she was “Drawn to the refreshing vision of the agency,” and is “Excited to be a part of the senior team to bring this blended venture to life." G. Steven (Steve) Dapper, chairman and founder of Publicis Hawkeye, said Prokos is “Truly gifted with the power of words complemented by her overall creative verve.” He feels that her “Extensive consumer-facing advertising experience and DM capabilities for top global companies” aligns perfectly with their “Growing client needs, and makes her a true gem.”

M&C Saatchi

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M&C Saatchi Sydney has appointed Droga5's Michael Sinclair as digital strategy director. Sinclair, who has been at the forefront of digital strategy for nearly a decade in Sydney, London and Auckland, will report to CSO Justin Graham, and will work alongside group innovation director Ben Cooper, helping to shape and drive integrated solutions at the agency. Besides Droga, Sinclair has served at Razor, Colenso BBDO and Wieden + Kennedy, where he drove a number of key projects such as Nokia’s global N8 launch, Honda’s “The Experiment” and the latest Kaiser Chiefs album campaign.

M&C Saatchi Sydney has appointed Droga5's Michael Sinclair as digital strategy director

Graham, who was named Australia and New Zealand’s Best Planner at the Campaign Asia Pacific Agency of the Year Awards last week, said Sinclair “Has it all really; a hands-on digital exponent with a deep system understanding and a profound grasp of how everything meshes to produce big brand platforms that endure.” He believes that Sinclair will be a huge asset for them and their clients. Sinclair, meanwhile, believes the opportunity to join M&C Saatchi is “Genuinely unique.” He called their “Depth and diversity of talent” humbling. He is really looking forward to earning his spot at an agency he feels is “Producing so much interesting, innovative work for some of the biggest brands in the land.”

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