GlobalHue Announces Leadership Realignment

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- GlobalHue, the nation's largest multicultural advertising agency, announced today a strategic realignment of its leadership team. As part of the new structure, Don Coleman, founder and CEO, will assume the role of General Manager at both the New York and Southfield, Michigan, offices.

"Our top goal is always to organize the company in a way that will allow us to provide exceptional services to our clients," said Coleman. "As a result of one of our periodic assessments on how we can constantly improve on exceeding client expectations, the Innovation team at GlobalHue recommended a change to the agency's organizational structure. I believe with these changes GlobalHue will be even better positioned to anticipate and respond to client needs."

Maria Lopez-Knowles, formerly Executive Vice President, Digital Strategy at GlobalHue, has assumed the position of Executive Vice President, Client Services.  In her new role, Lopez-Knowles will build, manage and lead account teams based in New York for clients in the retail, automotive, consumer goods, tourism and public sectors.

Lopez-Knowles is an AdColor® Innovator Award (2009) recipient for her groundbreaking multicultural segment work. Prior to joining GlobalHue, she founded and led MRM Worldwide's (McCann Worldgroup) practice targeting U.S.-born Hispanics via direct/digital marketing, with a keen focus on brand influencers.

Lopez-Knowles' extensive career has spanned 25 years in a variety of marketing communications positions, both on the client and agency sides of the business.  She has deep expertise in digital planning, direct marketing, above-the-line advertising and integrated communications.

In Southfield, Detavio Samuels has assumed the position of Executive Vice President, Client Services, responsible for all account services in that office, covering retail, automotive, gaming, public sector and consumer goods. Formerly he was Vice President, Group Account Director for Walmart and U.S. Navy.  Prior to joining GlobalHue, Samuels was at Johnson & Johnson's Ethicon, working in Global Marketing.

In addition, as part of GlobalHue's emphasis on digital across all accounts, Brian Williams has been appointed Executive Vice President, Executive Director of Engagement for the agency, an increased scope of responsibility from his former position of Director, Digital Engagement.  Similarly, Michael Jacobs' new role as Executive Vice President, Executive Creative Director will now encompass all creative, beyond his previous focus on digital, for accounts led out of the New York office.

Rob Fitzgerald has been promoted to the position of Executive Vice President, Executive Media Officer. In this broader role, he will oversee all of GlobalHue's media operations and have responsibility for further developing the contextual planning capabilities within the agency.

Finally, Allen Pugh, GlobalHue Vice Chairman, is newly the CEO of GlobalHue's eight sister companies, which cover a range of disciplines tied to advertising: public relations, broadcast and print production, media planning and buying, marketing and translations.  Pugh will continue in his role as Vice Chairman at GlobalHue while assuming responsibility for and overseeing the GlobalHue sister companies.

About GlobalHue

GlobalHue is a full-service marketing communications agency with total market and cultural expertise. The agency handles total market for Jeep, MGM Grand Detroit and the Bermuda Department of Tourism, and for decades has been acknowledged for its multicultural expertise.  Most recently, GlobalHue was recognized as the "Multicultural Advertising Agency of the Decade" by Adweek. The agency also has four divisions that together provide clients with a flexible approach to marketing to ethnic-specific segments and the total market: GlobalHue Africanic; GlobalHue Latino; GlobalHue Asian; and GlobalHue Next.

Our offices are in Detroit (Southfield) and New York, as well as satellite offices in other key markets. The agency has more than 280 employees who handle full-service marketing, advertising, media planning and buying, digital, events and promotions, and public relations for many clients. In 2009, GlobalHue's capitalized billings were $833.7 million.  GlobalHue boasts several blue-chip clients, including Verizon, Walmart, Chrysler Group LLC, U.S. Navy, Bermuda Department of Tourism, U.S. Census Bureau, MGM Grand Detroit and Merck.

SOURCE GlobalHue