Execs and Accounts for February 28

About’s president of sales David Hills has been handed the additional post of chief operating officer. Prior to joining About.com in 2001, Hills held several executive positions at Cox Broadcasting and Cox Interactive Media. In 1994, he began Cox Interactive Sales (CIS) for Cox Broadcasting. As he picks up his operations management role, Hills will continue to lead the sales efforts of Primedia-owned About’s three divisions: About.com, About Web Services and Sprinks, its pay-per-performance advertising network.

Search engine marketer LookSmart has hired Garret Vreeland, former vice president of ad sales for search portal Lycos, as vice president of national sales. In the newly created position, Vreeland will focus on expanding sales of LookSmart’s search listing products to major accounts. Prior to joining Lycos in 1998, he held ad sales positions at Time Inc.’s Pathfinder and for Money Magazine. Vreeland spent the first portion of his professional career in account management at Ogilvy & Mather and Compton.

In the fourth quarter of 2001, LookSmart said it had acquired over 100 new advertisers, including Absolut, American Express, eBay Canada, and Nestle.

Ameritrust Cyber Technologies recently hired Thomas O’Boyle as national sales manager for its Web ad targeting subsidiary, 123ACT. O’Boyle was most recently VP of sales and business development for the ABC Interactive, where he managed the sales team, developed strategies, and forged partnerships. Before that he was director at CMGI/Engage, where he performed jobs that included Midwest sales evangelist for new media products and Midwest advertising manager for Adsmart. He also spent several years managing ad sales at GQ Magazine.

Full service agency Deutsch has tapped Bari Goldsmith to be associate director of its media group. Goldsmith served most recently as associate media director with Atmosphere Interactive and has held marketing roles at BBDO and the MTV Interactive Group.

Organic has launched a motor sports Web site for the Chrysler Group under its Dodge brand. The site heralds the 2002 NASCAR season, featuring content to support Dodge’s quest for driver and manufacturer titles in both the Winston cup and Craftsman truck series. The site’s content includes a news ticker on the home page, a fan area with wallpapers and games, a weekly column entitled “Tradin’ Paint,” driver interviews and race information from each track in the Winston circuit.

MRB Public Relations has added two high tech companies to its client list. TOPCALL International has retained MRB’s services to boost awareness of its unified communications technology; and SSI America, part of the SSI Group, will use MRB to heighten consumer awareness of its car-adaptable MP3 player.

Ziff Davis Media has hired Jasmine Alexander as senior vice president of sales planning and analysis. Alexander was most recently VP of operations at OpenGlobe, developer of a home entertainment platform. Prior to that, she held positions as chief technical officer at Musicplex.com and vice president of product management and development for CarParts.com. She was also vice president of IT at Americast, where she started the company’s IT department and developed digital cable services. At Ziff, Alexander will manage all facets of sales analysis and reporting, including the development and implementation of the company’s new sales CRM system.


For more breaking news on account action and executive moves, visit ChannelSeven.com

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