TBWA\Chiat\Day Announces Senior Staff Promotions & Hiring of New Creative Talent

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- TBWA\Chiat\Day announced today the promotions of Jennifer Nottoli to Global Account Director on Energizer, Karin Schaer to Executive Director of Marketing and Business Development and Mike Litwin to Group Account Director on Pepsi.  The Agency also announced the hire of Tito Melega as Creative Director on Nissan.

Carisa Bianchi, President, TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles, said of the promotions: "Jennifer, Karin and Mike have been invaluable contributors to the agency during their tenures and have all demonstrated strong leadership and posses the passion, intelligence and persistence that has positive effects on clients' business, something we can all be proud of."

Jennifer, previously Group Account Director, began her advertising career at JWT in Chicago.  She then moved to Minneapolis, working for four years at Fallon McElligott on highly recognized ad campaigns for Federal Express and Rolling Stone Magazine.  From Minneapolis, Jennifer moved to Goldsmith/Jeffrey in NY, where she worked for six years.  While at Goldsmith/Jeffrey, she ran the NYNEX, Knoll and Everlast accounts, and helped win the JP Morgan and Bailey Banks & Biddle accounts.  In 1996, Jennifer moved to Los Angeles and joined TBWA\Chiat\Day.  She has worked on a variety of accounts at TBWA\Chiat\Day, most recently responsible for the Energizer and Principal Financial Group accounts. With the recent global consolidation of the Energizer business, she assumes the role of Global Account Director.

Karin Schaer was previously Director of Business Development.  She joined TBWA\Chiat\Day LA in 1996 as a receptionist, but quickly started working her way up the corporate ladder.  She spent 12 months sharpening her strategic skills in the Account Planning department before being exposed to New Business.  After getting a feel for pitching and the adrenaline rush that came with it, Karin quickly realized that New Business was the place for her.  She officially made the switch – moving quickly from a New Business Coordinator to the Director of Business Development for the entire LA office in just a few short years.  During her tenure, Karin has contributed to well over $1B in new business wins including Activision, adidas, Apple, Anheuser-Busch, Gatorade, Levi's, Mars, Pepsi, P&G, Sara Lee and Visa. In her new role, she will oversee agency marketing activity, new business activity and continue to work with partner agencies to develop strategic marketing solutions for current and potential clients.

Mike joined TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles in 2004 and has been helping manage the Pepsi U.S.A. business since April of 2010.  Prior to joining the Pepsi team Mike worked on several of the agency's accounts including Visa, where he oversaw all brand and product-led efforts for the U.S. market, including Visa Debit and Visa Signature, as well as major partnerships with the NFL and The Walt Disney Company.  Mike was also instrumental in the successful expansion of the Visa business from the U.S. to all global markets. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, Mike began his advertising career in New York at JWT. After JWT, Mike joined Fallon New York, where he worked on global advertising for The Timberland Company, as well as advertising efforts for Brawny paper towels, and the Starbucks/Pepsi Partnership. Mike will oversee marketing efforts for brands such as Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Max and Pepsi Throwback, as well as Sports Partnership activation across all Pepsi brands.

Rob Schwartz, Chief Creative Officer, TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles, said of Tito Melega's appointment: "Tito is a true Media Artist. He has expertise in all media from digital to traditional to social to what's next."

Tito Melega is an award-wining advertising Creative Director, Art Director, Director and Branding Consultant. Tito's experience runs the gamut in almost every brand category. Throughout his career, he has worked on the world's most recognizable brands, some of which are Lexus, Acura, Toyota, Pepsi, United Airlines, Cisco Systems, DirecTV, Miller Lite, Holiday Inn, Clairol and Kodak. He is the organizer and curator of TEDxHollywood, a yearly independently organized TED event, and the founder of HOPETISM™, an organization dedicated to collecting and sharing positive stories of autism recovery. Tito will work on Nissan North America, Latin America and Canada.

TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles is part of TBWA Worldwide. TBWA Worldwide (www.tbwa.com) creates Disruptive ideas expressed through Media Arts for global clients, including ABSOLUT, adidas, Apple, Energizer, GSK, Henkel, Infiniti, Mars, McDonald's, Michelin, Nissan, Pernod Ricard, Pfizer, Roche, Standard Chartered Bank, Singapore Airlines and Visa. TBWA is ranked as a Top-Ten worldwide advertising agency, and was recognized by Advertising Age in 2010 as the "Best International Network of the Decade." Fast Company Magazine placed TBWA 24th on its 2009 list of "The World's 50 Most Innovative Companies" and as an Innovation All-Star in 2010.  TBWA has 274 offices in 100 countries, and over 11,000 employees worldwide.

TBWA is part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.

SOURCE TBWA