Carat Freeman last week named its first president since Ellen Freeman founded the technology media buying practice 14 years ago, promoting chief operating officer Don Byrnes to the post.
Byrnes was recruited from Ziff-Davis Publishing Co. more than a year ago. "Don has become a critical part of our success," said Freeman, who remains chief executive officer.
When London-based Carat North America bought Freeman's business almost two years ago, her 28-member staff managed billings of $100 million, mostly for technology clients. Her challenge was to transform her business into a global entity servicing a variety of business-to-business and business-to-consumer accounts. Today some 100 staffers help manage media billings of $700 million for clients such as Akamei Technologies, Philips electronics, Radio Shack and Pfizer.
While Byrnes runs day-to-day operations for the agency's two offices in Natick, Mass., and San Francisco, Freeman will focus on the agency's "natural growth and evolution by stretching the very definition of media," she said.
That includes expanding Face to Face, a unit now devoted to technology trade show analysis, into new industries such as healthcare, and events and sponsorships; forging a leadership position for Carat Freeman among business-to-business e-commerce companies; and further "globalization of what we do" by training staff in other offices.