Management transition at Carmichael Lynch - Lescarbeau, Feriancek and Spong to Lead Forward

Management transition at Carmichael Lynch will comprise a team of three leading agency executives, all currently in senior roles with the agency. In addition to managing partners Mike Lescarbeau, president and chief creative officer, and Mark Feriancek, chief financial and operating officer, Doug Spong adds the title of managing partner of Carmichael Lynch to round out the management team at the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG) agency. Spong will also continue as president of the agency’s highly successful public relations division, Carmichael Lynch Spong. This move follows yesterday’s announcement that CEO John Colasanti has decided to leave the agency as of April 2009.

Lescarbeau joined Carmichael Lynch as president and chief creative officer 18 months ago from Ogilvy New York. Prior to that, he held creative and management positions at Fallon, Leagas Delaney and Hill Holiday. Lescarbeau also founded his own award-winning shop One And All. His commitment to unwavering creative standards is recognized throughout the industry and in keeping with Carmichael Lynch’s heritage as one of advertising’s most acclaimed creative agencies. Feriancek joined Carmichael Lynch in 2002 as chief financial officer and added the chief operating officer title last year. Previously, he was CFO for Plasmon Inc. and held numerous finance positions with Pillsbury over a 10-year period. A certified public accountant by background, Feriancek was introduced to both the advertising business and Carmichael Lynch early in his career as an audit manager at Ernst & Young. Spong brings a winning pedigree in agency management, leadership development, strategic direction, client relationship management, brand marketing and new business development. He joined Carmichael Lynch in 1990 to found the public relations division from scratch. Carmichael Lynch Spong, the agency he currently leads, is among the 20 largest PR firms in the U.S. and was recently named “Midsize PR Agency of the Year” by trade journals PRWeek and Holmes Report.

“Carmichael Lynch is an agency with a great culture and a commitment to creativity and innovation that spans all forms of communications,” said Mr. Lescarbeau. “We thank John for all his contributions to making us an industry leader and wish him well in his next chapter, both personally and professionally. He, Mark, Doug and I have had a terrific working relationship, which means that we’ll have a smooth transition to the new leadership team. Our clients and our staff have been very supportive as we move through this process and we pledge to them that the agency will continue to be a strong business partner and a great place to come to work and create winning ideas and marketing programs.”