Garland, Finegan Rise at JWT

NEW YORK JWT has created a new layer of operational management in its New York headquarters under co-presidents Rosemarie Ryan and Ty Montague.

John Garland, former creative director of broadcast and development, has become chief operating officer, and general manager Megwin Finegan is now managing director, the WPP Group agency said. Each position is new and the two executives will now have a hand in managing day-to-day operations.

Garland, 56, will oversee production, project management, information technology, integrated businesses and entertainment and intellectual property efforts. Finnegan, 41, will lead human resources, deploy staffers to create integrated teams and help account management leaders expand client relationships. Both report to Ryan and Montague, who also is the office’s chief creative officer.

“We have created a partnership that mirrors ours and will help continue to evolve the new JWT and allow us to focus on big-picture opportunities for our clients,” said Ryan, in a statement. “Together, John and Megwin will tackle the challenges related to structuring integrated teams required to build more complex campaigns.”

In addition, creative manager Angela Foley has risen to director of operations and resources, also a new position. Foley, 38, reports to Garland and Finegan.

Separately, the shop has hired a handful of senior executives in its creative, account management and channel planning departments.

Graham Wood, an award-winning designer and founding partner at Tomato in London, has become an executive creative director for visual communications. Wood, 40, becomes the shop’s ninth ecd and reports to Montague.

Claire Capeci, an ex-managing director at Interpublic Group’s Lowe in New York, has replaced Dan O’Donnell as business director on JWT’s Domino’s account, reporting to Ryan and Montague. Last year, Domino’s spent about $175 million in major measured media, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus. At Lowe, where the 43-year-old Capeci spent nine years, she worked on GMC and Saab.

Tom Denford, former senior account director for business development for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at WPP’s Mediaedge:cia, has become JWT’s third communications planning director. Denford, 31, will work on new business development, Domino’s and other accounts, as needed. He also reports to Ryan and Montague.