-By Della de Lafuente

NEW YORK MTV Networks International executive Melisa Quinoy has been named CEO of Omnicom's Dieste Harmel & Partners, the Dallas-based Hispanic agency.

Quinoy's appointment is effective immediately, and she becomes the shop's first female CEO and its first new leader since Dieste's 1996 launch. She succeeds former CEO Warren Harmel, who stepped down last year, having served as the agency's only top executive.

Quinoy will guide the shop's realignment of its brand communications strategy to emphasize a consumer-centric focus on understanding, creativity and engagement, she said during a telephone interview from Spain.

"I'm coming full circle," Quinoy said, noting that she began her career some 20 years ago at U.S. Hispanic agency Siboney USA, New York, on Pepsi, which is now a major Dieste client.

The native of Puerto Rico joins Dieste during a transitional phase at the shop, following Harmel's departure, the loss of the high-profile JC Penney Hispanic account and just as the agency starts its shift to provide more integrated services offering digital, direct marketing and media.

"The changes that have happened are almost organic to reinventing an agency. You're always going to lose some things along the way and it's always hard, but the outcome is always worth everything you've gone through," Quinoy said. "Already the strategic vision is in place to move forward."

She cited the appointment last week of Alvaro Cabrera, formerly of Spain's BBDO Contrapunto, to the new position of executive director, and Dieste president Aldo Quevedo as being central to the agency's future and its reinvention as a marketing and communications company serving clients and demonstrating results.

"The biggest challenge will be meshing all the different people together, getting them to work together and learning how to work with each other so that we get the best results as quickly as possible," she added.

Her appointment follows a worldwide search for an executive to fill the top job mounted by Diversified Agency Services (DAS), a network within Omnicom Group.

"We searched for the perfect brand communications leader to take the helm of the agency and we found the utmost match in Melisa. She's an innovator, a visionary and an extremely accomplished Latina who represents the epitome of the global consumer experience," said Carmen Baez, president of DAS Latin America, in a statement.

Dieste's Quevedo said he's excited the shop has found a CEO who "gets who we are and what we are becoming as a brand communications agency."

Quinoy will relocate to Dallas from London and she is scheduled to begin working at the agency's offices on April 23.

An MTV executive for nine years, Quinoy directed MTV and Nickelodeon efforts in Europe, where she restructured sales operations and enhanced properties such as the MTV Europe Music Awards. Prior to joining MTV, Quinoy worked at agencies including Euro RSCG, FCB and Lowe. She is trilingual in English, Portuguese and Spanish.