-By Steve McClellan

NEW YORK Interpublic has appointed Elizabeth Herbst-Brady to the post of president of Magna (formerly Magna Global), a unit that supports the efforts of IPG media shops with research and marketplace intelligence gathering. She reports to the U.S. presidents of Initiative and Universal McCann, Tim Spengler and Mary Gerzema, respectively,

Herbst-Brady effectively succeeds Bill Cella as head of the Magna unit, albeit with a different title (Cella held the dual titles of chairman/CEO of Magna Global and vice chairman of Draft/fcb before departing IPG at the end of 2007).

Herbst-Brady joins the Magna operation at a time when it is shifting its focus. It was originally designed to lead negotiations with networks on the price of TV spots. That’s now seen as a supporting role across multiple media (including digital, print radio and TV), with a primary focus on research, analysis and providing information to buyers on the relative strength or weakness of various media marketplaces.

Commenting on the hire, Nick Brien, CEO of Mediabrands, IPG’s media management arm, where Magna is housed, said in a statement that Herbst-Brady “recognizes the emerging patterns of the future of the media business and will be able to harness it for our clients. She [will] lead them in the next stage of the company’s evolution as a marketing intelligence and emerging technologies specialist.”

Previously Herbst-Brady ran advertising sales for 20th Television, a division of 20th Century Fox, where she was general sales manager, SVP of Syndication Ad Sales. In addition to managing ad sales, she oversaw the development of the branded integration process for 20th Television’s first run shows and set upfront strategy.

Before that she was svp, director of national broadcast for Publicis Groupe’s Starcom.

“I see Magna as a strategic consultant to IPG agencies in regards to current and future media related issues, serving as an aggregator of marketplace information, an analyzer of future trends, and an important facilitator of IPG’s media strategy,” Herbst-Brady, 47, said in a statement.

She will be based in New York.