Lori Senecal’s rapid rise within MDC Partners continues with the company announcing today that she has been appointed president and CEO of its MDC Partner Network and named to its board of directors.
Established last year as a separate unit with MDC Partners, Partner Network houses MDC agency operations and its strategic resources. Its purpose is to provide expertise and dedicated resources to partner firms.
Reporting to MDC president and CEO Miles Nadal, Senecal will work with Andre Coste, who has assumed an expanded role as chief operating officer of the MDC Partner Network.
Senecal will retain her role as global executive chairman of MDC agency BKS+, maintaining its focus on global expansion. Former KBS+ president and chief creative officer Ed Brojerdi becomes CEO of the agency’s New York office.
In her new role, Senecal will be responsible for “deepening” MDC’s model, working with the agency partners in a “strategic counsel” role while providing vision around the company’s resources.
As MDC firms work in a more collaborative manner, Senecal will also play a leadership role in partnering with clients to help optimize what the company called “seamless structures” across its partner capabilities. Coste, who has taken on COO responsibilities with MDC in his past year as the MDC Partner Network’s chief financial officer, will oversee the division’s operations.
In a statement, Nadal said that all steps taken by MDC Partners in recent years have been undertaken with the purpose of bringing “additional firepower” to the company’s infrastructure in order to fuel the growth and success of its clients and agency partners.
“Lori’s experience driving creativity and invention, multinational client work and global expansion, alongside her leadership in technology, digital and analytics, is extraordinary,” said Nadal. “I have never been more confident that our ambitious network’s structure, culture and entrepreneurial spirit make it the model of the future for client and partner agency success, and I look forward to building on that opportunity with Lori, Andrew and the rest of our management team for years to come.”
Senecal joined MDC in 2009 from the New York office of McCann-Erickson, where she had been president for just over two years, as president, CEO and partner at Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners (which was rechristened Kirshenbaum, Bond, Senecal & Partners upon her arrival). She was named chairman and CEO of the agency in 2012.
Her career has included top leadership roles in the areas of strategic planning, innovation and account leadership. In 2003, she conceived and launched TAG Ideation, a specialist unit focused on young adults. She also has extensive experience working with multinational brands, having led global business for Coca-Cola and Nestlé and worked with other notable brands including BMW, Vanguard and Microsoft.
