MindShare has hired the former UK planning director of CIA
Medianetwork, Nick Kelvin, to drive its Unilever business around the
world as the media network beds down around dollars 700 million of new
Unilever business and prepares to pitch for the dollars 515 million
account in the US.
Kelvin is expected to join the WPP-owned media network early in the new
year, taking the title of Unilever Worldwide managing partner.
This is a new role for MindShare and follows a handful of Unilever wins
in key markets.
Dominic Proctor, the chief operating officer of MindShare Worldwide,
said: ’We keenly want to grow our relationship with Unilever - Nick’s
job is to ensure we have that opportunity.’
Kelvin joins from Ammirati Puris Lintas in Asia, where he was chief
media officer, but his CV includes the stint at CIA Medianetwork in the
UK and a spell as managing director of the now-defunct WM Media.
He said there were three reasons why he wanted the MindShare job: ’The
agency, the client and the people.’
MindShare is now lining up against Omnicom’s Creative Media operation,
and Interpublic Group’s Western Initiative Media Worldwide and Universal
McCann shops for the review of Unilever’s US media buying.