Starcom MediaVest has tapped Ken Taylor to return to GM Planworks as GM/President, replacing Dennis Donlin, who is resigning, effective 4/1. Taylor is EVP/group client leader at Starcom Chicago.
SMG also announced the evolution of its GM Planworks unit from a stand-alone service operation to a more integrated model. The dedicated service team will retain expertise across all communication contact points, and will be fortified by a closer alignment with contact experts and resources across SMG.
“The independent GM Planworks model was the right response to the marketplace realities we faced with GM in 2000,” said Laura Desmond, CEO-The Americas at SMG. “That landscape—both in our industry and the automotive industry—is different today, and it continues to shift. Just as the business of capturing consumer attention continues to evolve, we need to re-imagine and adjust our service models to stay ahead and advance GM’s market-making competitive advantage.”
Formerly EVP/group client director at Starcom USA, Taylor was lead on the Kellogg’s and LEGO media businesses. As part of the leadership team that helped launch GM Planworks back in 2000, Taylor spent close to four years in Detroit as SVP/Managing Director before relocating to Starcom’s Chicago HQ.
His prior position at GM Planworks was SVP-managing director, and he was part of the team that helped form the agency dedicated to buying and planning for GM’s 3 billion annual media budget.
