- Della de Lafuente

NEW YORK Advertising agency veteran Ingrid Otero-Smart has been named president and CEO of Casanova Pendrill, Costa Mesa, Calif., the Hispanic ad shop said.

She will be responsible for directing the day-to-day operations of the agency, working with Dan Nance, who moves up to the post of chairman of the agency after serving as president and CEO.

Otero-Smart will join Casanova Aug. 4, from Anita Santiago Advertising, Santa Monica, Calif., where she has served as president since 2005.

The addition of Otero-Smart to Casanova's top management structure coincides with the agency's goal to meet the demands of expanding business opportunities and serving existing clients, the shop said.

"We felt now was the time to further deepen our management bench strength by bringing someone of Ingrid's caliber onto the team," said Nance. "Ingrid is a respected industry veteran who knows the Hispanic consumer and marketplace expertly. She has broad and successful client experience, proven leadership skills, and is committed to our vision of a next-generation Hispanic communications company."

Casanova, an affiliate of the Interpublic Group, has a client roster that includes Crown Imports, General Mills, Nestle, GlaxoSmithKline, U.S. Army, Kohl's and the California Lottery.

Otero-Smart, 49, joined Anita Santiago in 2005 as president, with responsibility for agency operations and overseeing clients including Ikea, the Nielsen Co. (Adweek's parent), See's Candies, Compass Bank and United HealthCare.

She previously worked at Mendoza Dillon & Asociados, rising to president and COO and serving clients spanning the automotive, packaged-goods, pharmaceuticals, retail and technology categories. She began her career in media and account management in her native Puerto Rico at McCann Erickson Puerto Rico.

Nance, 47, joined Casanova Pendrill in 2002 as president, overseeing the expansion of the company from an advertising agency to an integrated Hispanic communications firm, maintaining a focus on creative excellence and receiving numerous honors at national and international awards festivals.

Nance began his career at two general-market agencies -- Y&R and JWT -- before joining Noble & Asociados, where he rose through the ranks to the post of president. After the agency was acquired by DMB&B, he oversaw the merger of Noble with Sosa, Bromley, Aguilar and was named to head DMB&B's ops in Mexico. He was promoted in 2000 to gm of the agency's Latin American operations.

At Anita Santiago Advertising, Sofia Escamilla, vp, media director, and Francisco Letelier, vp, creative director, will serve as top managers of the agency. Their promotions to managing partners, effective Aug. 1, were announced last week.