PHD

Omnicom-owned PHD named former Mindshare senior exec Steve Piluso as its new East Coast Managing Director. Piluso will lead the agency's New York, Chicago and Minneapolis offices while focusing on clients including HBO, Discovery Networks, American Legacy Foundation and Hormel Foods.

While at Mindshare, Piluso served as MD for client work such as Breyers, Sprint and AmEx, the last of which included a cross-promotional effort with Fox series 24. Prior to Mindshare, Piluso held posts at Y&R/The Media Edge and Euro RSCG, where he worked on the Intel business for five years.

More: "HBO Consolidates Media to PHD"

AgencySpy has learned that former PHDiQ Director of Interactive Amy Auerbach left the agency to join up with Initiative, said a source. Initiative’s US President Tim Spengler officially announced Auerbach's arrival at the agency today, but according to our source she's been there all week.

At PHD, Auerbach handled the agency's east coast operations, overseeing digital media for Chrysler and AIG, among others. At Initiative she'll lead its New York digital operations as SVP, director, digital.

More: "PHD Loses More Digital Leadership; Director of Interactive Amy Auerbach"

Omnicom's PHD is no stranger to the effects of an indifferent economy. When we learned that the agency's New York office lost Amy Auerbach, director of interactive, it was yet another indicator that the media shop is refocusing its attention away from emerging media, and the leadership that once steered their digital ship.

Auerbach's departure (we're told she resigned) marks the fourth digital-leadership seat to empty since the middle of this summer.

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More: "Raw and Uncut"

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