NEW YORK: After 20 years apiece at Manning Selvage & Lee, Monita
Buchwald, vice chairman and worldwide director of strategic planning,
and Lonny Unger, EVP and managing director of MS&L New York, are
stepping down to serve as consultants to the agency. They will still
report to chairman and CEO Lou Capozzi.
Mike Marino, the current director of creative and strategic development,
has been promoted to managing director of MS&L New York. The agency has
also hired John Bellizzi as chief financial officer.
"John comes from a public-company environment," said Capozzi. "As the PR
industry is increasingly expected to perform at public-company
standards, he's going to prove to be a tremendous asset for us."
Bellizzi joins MS&L from Thomson Corporation, where he was VP of
financial planning and analysis for Thomson Financial. Before that, he
worked at Avon Products, Eli Lilly, and Pepsi.
Marino joined MS&L in January 2000. He will oversee day-to-day
activities in the New York office. As a former creative director
promoted to a top spot, he shares a history with Capozzi, who started
out the same way.
"I'm pleased that Mike is stepping in to management from creative
director," said Capozzi. "As the first one here to do that, it's
gratifying to see him follow in that tradition."
Bellizzi and Marino will also serve in a newly created "office of the
chairman," which will direct the firm's daily activities.
In addition, MS&L has created a new global policy board to guide the
firm's business planning and policy-making.
