- Steve McClellan

Tara Comonte, CFO at Mediabrands, has been elevated to chief operating officer, a new post at the IPG media oversight arm.

Comonte, who continues to report to Mediabrands CEO Nick Brien, retains her CFO stripes as she takes on the added COO responsibilities.

In her new role, Comonte will be tasked with developing growth areas for the company -- which oversees media shops Initiative, Universal McCann and other IPG assets -- while continuing to drive operating efficiencies across the enterprise.

"Tara has always operated as my commercial partner across all aspects of our global business," said Brien in a statement. "She's uniquely involved in strategy and operational execution as opposed to solely focusing on the more traditional CFO responsibilities. Tara has been critical in our combined success as an organization. I am thrilled she has accepted these additional responsibilities and extended role."

Prior to Mediabrands, Comonte was worldwide CFO at Initiative. Earlier, she was CFO for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region of Publicis Groupe's Arc Worldwide and a senior financial executive at Leo Burnett.