- Steve McClellan

NEW YORK Mark Stewart, global account director at OMD on the Visa business, has left the Omnicom Group agency, according to sources.

Stewart joined OMD three years ago as managing director of the shop's East Coast region from Universal McCann, where he was chief strategy officer.

In January, however, Stewart was replaced as East Coast chief by Scott Hagedorn, who had been OMD's director of digital operations. At that time, Stewart shifted to the Visa account, which the shop had just successfully defended and expanded following a review.

Sources said Stewart left the agency because he wanted to return to a "line management role," running an agency or a region. Stewart didn't return calls seeking comment and the agency declined to comment as well.

Stewart is being replaced by Shelley Paxton, who previously had been global director of strategy for Omnicom Media Group Digital. She will report to Kate Stephenson, president of global account management at OMD.

In an internal memo announcing the switch, Stephenson said OMD was "realigning the account management structure to position digital at the core of its clients' media strategy, ensuring that digital capabilities and insights are fully integrated within client teams. With Shelley's previous experience [at OMG Digital] complemented by eight years of global account management, she is perfectly positioned to lead our global Visa business."

Visa put its $650 million global account into review last August. OMD retained U.S., Asia-Pacific, Chinese and Indian media duties and won most of the rest of the world. In a separate review for the European Union countries, WPP's Mediaedge:cia successfully defended. Spending in the U.S. is estimated at $440 million, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus.