Today brings word of the Advertising Council’s annual changing of the guard: the industry group named Laura Desmond, Global CEO of Starcom MediaVest Group, to head its Board of Directors.
Council president Peggy Conlon calls Desmond “one of this country’s most respected leaders in the media and advertising communities”; she will serve for one year before being replaced by current Vice-Chair of Advertisers David Christopher, CMO of AT&T Mobility. Desmond herself filled that role in 2012-2013 after joining the board in 2009.
In other trade group news, Effie Worldwide chose Carolyn Everson (above), who has served as Facebook’s VP of Global Marketing Solutions for more than three years, as the Chairman of its Board. Daryl Lee, currently Global CEO of UM, will be Vice Chairman according to a popular vote.
Everson succeeds Anomaly co-founder Carl Johnson, who just finished his second term as Chair.
As Chair, Everson will be responsible for “[setting] the organization’s course and [ensuring] that its operations are well run”, so we expect next year’s Effie Awards to be even more seamless than before.
In a statement, Everson says it’s all about measurement, adding: “Dedicating time to serve as Chairman of the Board is an investment in the learning and advancement of effective marketing.”