The New York Times…
In Advertising, MDC Names Its First Woman as Managing Director
By Stuart Elliott
MDC Partners, which owns advertising agencies like Crispin Porter & Bogusky, is hiring its first woman to be managing director.
The new managing director, Anne Bologna, is joining MDC, which is based in New York, from the New York office of Cramer-Krasselt, a leading independent agency. She had served there since May 2010 as executive vice president and general manager. To succeed Ms. Bologna in New York, Cramer-Krasselt, which is based in Chicago, is, in a twist, bringing back her predecessor in the post, Jeff Johnson.
“I just couldn’t pass this up,” Ms. Bologna, 54, said in a phone interview on Thursday afternoon. “Miles has an evolved vision for a holding company.”
Her reference was to Miles S. Nadal, chairman and chief executive of MDC, which also owns and has large stakes in agencies like 72andSunny, Vitro, Anomaly and Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal & Partners.
“It’s an opportunity to join the team” at MDC, Ms. Bologna said, “and do what they do, fuel great talent in entrepreneurial agencies, which is what I’m wired to do.”
Ms. Bologna’s arrival at MDC also represents a reunion of her and David Dabill, who joined MDC in July as chief administrative officer. The two worked together for 14 years, Ms. Bologna said, at agencies like Toy New York and Fallon Worldwide.
Ms. Bologna will be based in the New York office of MDC and supervise a portfolio of MDC’s advertising, branding and research agencies.
Managing partner is one of the top executive posts at MDC; there is one other managing partner, Gavin Swartzman. Ms. Bologna will report to Mr. Dabill.
Ms. Bologna joined Cramer-Krasselt New York shortly after the closing of Toy New York in early 2010. She succeeded Mr. Johnson. He and the agency said at the time that he was leaving to pursue a career outside advertising as, among other things, an author.
Indeed, Mr. Johnson said in a phone interview on Thursday morning, he will have a book published in April, a “dog humor book called ‘Things Your Dog Doesn’t Want You to Know.’” (It will be his second book.)
Mr. Johnson, 59, said he was enjoying his non-ad pursuits, which also included work with a theater in Key West, Fla.
“But I found that I missed the advertising business and I loved” working at the Cramer-Krasselt New York office, he said.
So when he heard from Peter Krivkovich, president and chief executive of Cramer-Krasselt, about the potential opening in the New York office, Mr. Johnson said, he was quite interested.
“I’m ready and rejuvenated to come back to a great job,” he added.
