Execs & Accounts For April 12, 2002

Carat Interactive has selected Bluestreak to provide products and services for online ad serving, optimization and analytics. The deal further’s Bluestreak’s ambitions of becoming a leading third party ad server.

“We see our strong partnership with Bluestreak based both on both our mutual commitment to customer service and Bluestreak’s strengths in technology and innovation — these fit very well with Carat’s long term goals,” said Pierre Calmard, deputy general manager Carat Interactive France.

The Interpublic Group of Companies have named Alec Gerster chief executive officer of its Initiative Media worldwide unit. Gerster joins Initiative from Grey Global Group, where he was chief executive officer of MediaCom and also oversaw a number of other businesses in the digital, co-marketing and event marketing areas. In his new position, he will lead an organization that operates 85 offices around the world and manages media planning and buying for leading multinational marketers.

Alec Gerster, replaces Lou Schultz who retired in January. Gerster will join Initiative effective April 22 and report to David Bell, vice chairman of Interpublic. In a related development, Interpublic promoted Marie-Jose Forissier to chairman. Formerly she was Initiative’s Worldwide president and chief operating officer.

“I am looking forward to this new challenge and to applying my experience in the media business on the largest and most global scale,” said Gerster.