NEW YORK Wunderman New York chief operating officer Becky Chidester has replaced Steve Zammarchi as president of the office, the WPP Group shop said.
Zammarchi, in turn, has shifted to the new U.S. role of managing partner, corporate development. He will continue to report to worldwide CEO Daniel Morel, as will Chidester. The moves take effect this week. Chidester, 49, takes the reins of an office of about 400 staffers whose top clients include Microsoft, HP and Citibank.
“Becky’s strong reputation for client service and no-nonsense approach to problem-solving are well known to colleagues and clients alike and will be critical to sustaining business growth over the long term,” Morel said, in a statement. “Becky’s strong ties across the Wunderman network—at Young & Rubicam Brands and WPP—and her ability to collaborate and partner effectively will open doors to new ways to service our clients and deliver the best possible marketing solutions.”
Before becoming COO in November 2005, Chidester was CEO of sister shop RTCRM in Washington, D.C. WPP acquired RTCRM, which specializes in customer relationship management, in 1989 and, in 2002, it became a division of Wunderman.
The agency has not decided whether to fill the COO post. As president, she will determine if the role is still needed, a Wunderman representative said.
In his new role, Zammarchi, 55, is charged with generating new business from existing and new clients. In his two years as New York office president, the shop added accounts such as Nationwide and LexisNexis.
Wunderman N.Y. Gets New President
