RENETTA MCCANN, global CEO of Starcom MediaVest Group, is taking a one-year sabbatical from the company effective January 1, 2009. She will vacate the global CEO role immediately, and LAURA DESMOND, currently CEO of SMG/The Americas, will assume the global title.

Publicis Worldwide named NIGEL JONES as UK group chairman and chief executive, overseeing Publicis London, Publicis Modem, Publicis Dialog and Publicis Blueprint. He previously worked as president of DraftFCB London.

Fallon Minneapolis rehired CHRIS WIGGINS as creative director. Wiggins first joined Fallon Interactive in 1998 and was part of the team responsible for the BMW Films.

Doremus hired RAY MANNA as director of interactive strategy. He joins the agency from Icon Nicholson where he was senior digital marketing strategist.

Viewpoint Creative hired executive producer DIANA DE VRIES to the creative staff of the company’s Los Angeles office.

ALEXANDRA ALESKOVSKY joined Kaboose as general manager and senior vice president, online media properties.

OLIVIA GUSHIN, KELLY MULLEN, CHERYL O’DONNELL and KRISTIN O’HARA joined Prevention as online sales managers.

Mintz & Hoke Communications Group hired JANET KALANDRANIS as account executive. In this new position, Kalandranis will work on accounts such as AIG American General, Mohegan Sun and Prudential Retirement.

Wirestone hired TRACI HIEBERT as marketing communications manager.

AKQA DC promoted BRENDAN DIBONA to executive creative director and ERIK ROGSTAD to general manager.

90octane promoted SHANNON DENNY to senior marketing coordinator.

Rodale promoted GREGG MICHAELSON to executive vice president, customer marketing from his position as executive vice president, Rodale Direct.

DAVE ZINCZENKO has been named editorial director of Women’s Health. He will now assume editorial leadership of Women’s Health in addition to his current responsibilities as editor-in-chief of Men’s Health and Best Life editorial director.

GoFish Corporation hired MATT FREEMAN, former founder and chief executive officer of Tribal DDB Worldwide, as chief executive officer and a member of the company’s board of directors. He succeeds MICHAEL DOWNING who is leaving the company.

OWEN CODEY joined RJ Palmer as an assistant media buyer in national broadcast.

SAM REGISTER was named executive vice president, creative affairs, at Warner Bros. Animation.

THOMAS SHAW was named chief marketing officer for CreditReport.com.

MICHELLE BOOCKOFF-BAJDEK was named vice president of marketing at Quaero.

The VIA Group hired KEVIN FREIDBERG as a senior copywriter and STEVE GOULBOURNE as a senior art director.

DAVID KANG joined gsi interactive as vice president of client services. Prior to joining GSI, Kang held dual client and new business roles as senior partner and new business director at Beyond Interaction.

St. John & Partners added ROBERT TAYLOR and ALLISON MCHENRY as account coordinators to service its Ford Dealers business.

Novus Print Media Network named PATRICK SOLI as vice president of business development. Most recently, Soli was national sales manager at the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Mr. Youth hired LAURA LEVITAN as senior vice president of brand development; MATT MCGREGOR as executive creative director; and DEDE SOLLEY as vice president of operations.

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