MINNEAPOLIS, April 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Minneapolis brand agency YMM today announced that Kathy McCuskey has joined the agency as CEO, effective immediately.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110421/CG87779)

McCuskey has more than 22 years of business and consumer marketing experience in agency and client settings specializing in business management, strategy development, and team management and growth.

"Kathy has a great track record for growing and developing client businesses and has recently had an emphasis in emerging and digital media," said Miles Nadal, Chairman and CEO, MDC Partners, parent company of YMM. "She has the right combination of skills, insight and high energy to lead the agency during this time of growth and great opportunity."

McCuskey's broad marketing experience spans numerous categories such as consumer goods, retail, healthcare and financial services working on brands including Kmart, ConAgra, Department 56, American Express Financial Services, Papa Murphy's Pizza and HoMedics. She was most recently director of consumer marketing at Starkey Labs, Inc., where she led a multi-brand consumer marketing team and all consumer-facing activity for the global hearing health leader. She has also held strategic leadership positions at Twin Cities agencies, such as Periscope, Hunt Adkins and Campbell Mithun.

"I'm extremely excited to be a part of this talented team," said McCuskey. "Rarely in life does someone have the opportunity to lead an organization that is in a growth phase and already well positioned in the marketplace."

McCuskey succeeds Andrew Mackenzie, who departed the agency last year. She joins the firm during a period of growth and increasing industry recognition. The agency grew by more than 15 percent and hired six new employees in the last 12 months. Recent new client partners include Walgreens, ELCA Board of Pensions, North Memorial Health Care, and Ameriprise Financial. In 2010, YMM was honored with awards from the American Design Awards, Healthcare Advertising Awards, Aster Awards, and the E2E Communications Awards, among others.

About YMM

Yamamoto Moss Mackenzie is a Minneapolis brand agency. We help clients create and grow brands. We are an MDC Partners agency and a co-sponsor of Brand Matters, the leading speakers' forum for marketers in the Twin Cities. We believe in the power of brands and in building them one moment at a time. For more information, visit www.ymm.com, www.facebook.com/ymmplays or follow on Twitter@ymmlistens.

SOURCE YMM