MPG Media Contacts Hires Former Zenith Strategist

In the UK, MPG Media Contacts - which is part of ad and communications services group Havas - has appointed former Zenithoptimedia Head of Strategy Hamid Habib to lead its Catalyst division, which combines research, analysis and 'idea facilitation'.

MPG specialises in off-line and digital media planning and buying, but also has teams focused on econometrics, customer data strategy and web analytics. Habib will lead a team which supports digital content and solutions developers in the firm's creative services division.

He joins from Zenith, where for the past six years he worked across several leading brands. Prior to this, he served as Senior Brand Manager at Nickelodeon.

CEO Marc Mendoza comments: 'Hamid's appointment shows how serious we are about investing in our products and services, to become the sort of modern media business our clients need to steer them through the complex media landscape in the coming decade. We loved Hamid's energy and creativity and see him as a key lynchpin to drive this agenda forward.'

Web sites: www.havasmedia.com and www.mpg-uk.com .