Coca-Cola’s marketing director Gavin O’Doherty is to become managing director of Initiative Media in place of Chris Rayner. O’Doherty is no stranger to adland having worked in client service as a board director at Publicis QMP. His background also includes a number of marketing roles at Nestle Ireland’s confectionery division, including product group manager responsible for the annual business plan for Kit Kat.
Rayner quit as boss of Initiative in Ireland to move to the agency’s New York office to take charge of the network’s worldwide client services. Following Rayner’s resignation, Initiative’s deputy managing director Emer McHugh became interim MD. It is understood McHugh has now left the agency. Initiative’s sister media agency within Interpublic, Universal McCann (UM), handles all Coca-Cola brands in Ireland.
In a separate development, UM’s managing director, Martina Stenson, is to take eight months leave of absence. Initiative and UM work together on some business under the Magna umbrella.
