IPG Mediabrands CEO Henry Tajer, who took over for Matt Seiller back in March, announced today the promotion of Jim Hytner to the role of global chief operating officer, Adweek reports. Hytner, who formerly served as CEO of Mediabrands’ G14 region and president, global clients, will assume Tajer’s former role in September.
Prior to joining IPG Mediabrands, Hytner served as global CEO at Initiative, whose clients included Unilever, Starbucks, Miller Coors, Lionsgate and Burger King. His year with Initiative followed a two and a half year stint as EMEA CEO at Universal McCann and over four years as UK marketing and global brand director at Barclays Bank. He has also worked in television, as ITV’s commercial and marketing director and marketing director for Sky TV. The Wharton Business School graduate’s first senior marketing position was with Coca-Cola, where he presided over the brand’s push into music and football sponsorship in the UK.
“We have an ambitious plan to strengthen our business globally, and here begins a period of positive change—making sure the best people in the company are in the right roles,” Tajer told Adweek. He added, “We are currently looking at many parts of the organization, and we will see opportunities to change and enhance the current situation. We have identified a number of areas that we will make changes to, and these will be managed and executed in a considered manner.”