Ammirati appoints Euro director

Ammirati Puris Lintas has boosted its media operation with the appointment of Graeme Hutton from CIA Medianetwork as European media director.

Hutton, a former planning director for CIA, will be responsible for staffing media planning within APL across Europe. He will report to Vincent Negre, president of APL Europe, and will be based in London.

Hutton was replaced as planning director at CIA by former Communications Counsel managing director Nick Kelvin when CIA took over the Communications Counsel. Hutton was believed to be unhappy with his new role as an account director.

In addition to his role at CIA, Hutton is chairman of the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

The appointment is part of continuing efforts by APL to enhance the media departments of its creative agencies. It has also made a decision to turn its media buying dependent, Initiative, into a global brand.

Agency sources suggest that the restructuring process marks the first move towards making Initiative Media an autonomous company within the Interpublic Group, reporting directly to Interpublic rather than APL.