The New Talent on the West Coast is at PHD

January 24, 2007 | 2:00 pm

NEW YORK, Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- PHD US announced today that Susan Taylor has joined the agency as Managing Director of the West Coast. Kevin MacLean will be the lead on the newly acquired Safeway business. Both will report directly to Matt Seiler, President of PHD US.

"Susan and Kevin are excellent examples of our continuing philosophy of hiring executives for their creative, innovative thinking, whether or not they have a media background," said Matt Seiler, President PHD. "I am thrilled they've joined us and with the breadth of capabilities they bring to our executive team."

Susan Taylor will be responsible for all the PHD business on the West Coast. PHD West Coast clients include Air New Zealand, California Lottery, Charles Schwab, Janus Funds, Mitsubishi, Safeway, Schiff Nutrition and Transamerica. "Susan's enthusiasm and passion for ideas, her expertise in planning and resource management will only increase our ability to provide our clients with the kind of media solutions that will build their brand," said Seiler.

Prior to joining PHD Susan Taylor was the Director of Operations for Serino Coyne, a full service agency specializing in theatre and live entertainment. She also worked at Orion Pictures as a Vice President of Marketing. She left to become a free-lance screenwriter and Marketing Consultant before running her own company where her biggest client, Serino Coyne convinced her to join them after she had significantly increased their annual revenue.

"While at Serino Coyne, I had the opportunity to work closely with PHD as a client. They have always been a pioneering company and I am thrilled to be joining them." She continued, "Media is the future. It is becoming the focal point of client attention. It is where ideas will emanate."

Kevin MacLean will handle all aspects of the Safeway business for PHD. He comes to PHD from Modem Media where he led the North American Hewlett Packard account, doubling the size of the business in two years. With a background primarily in digital/direct marketing, he has also successfully managed accounts such as American Express, Chase Manhattan Bank and Starwood Hotels and Resorts.

Before Modem Media, Kevin was an independent consultant working on projects such as the implementation of Saudi Telecom's premium rate mobile data network in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Prior to that he held a number of key account management positions at agencies like T3 Media, Organic and Grey Interactive. Seiler had this to say about Kevin, "Kevin is a delightfully sharp and articulate senior executive. He has a classic New York work ethic but incorporated a California style so he would have the best of both worlds. He is a brilliant strategist and a great business developer who I am confident will lead us to success with Safeway."

Kevin MacLean commented, "Given the ongoing fragmentation of media consumption and the proliferation of new channels, it is an awfully exciting time to be a media innovator and PHD US has real potential to be at the leading edge of marketing communications."

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