Execs & Accounts for June 22, 2007

Answers.com promoted Bruce Smith to chief strategic officer. Smith is tasked with driving corporate direction, strategic development and M&A, and communicating with the investment community for the information portal.

Jumpstart Automotive Media selected EyeWonder as its rich media provider. The auto-focused ad network and agency focused will join the EyeWonder Select Publishing Program to incorporate rich media into its campaigns.

IVillage named Michael Gutkowski chief operating officer. The women-focused site hired Gutkowski from his post as SVP digital for Southern Progress Corporation, a Time Inc. division.

T3 promoted Kate Donaho and Chris Wooster to group creative director. The agency said Donaho will lead the JCPenney, UPS and Valero accounts while Wooster will oversee Marriott and MTV.

Brand New World, New York, promoted Brian Brown to creative director. The agency tasked Brown with overseeing all of its creative work.

Griffin York & Krause hired two execs and promoted one. The advertising and strategic communications firm hired Sara Adams as senior account manager and Michael Giovinelli as account coordinator. The company also appointed Cindy Whitehouse to chief operating officer in conjunction with her role as chief financial officer.

Collective Media named Todd Benedict VP Eastern Region. The online advertising network hired Benedict from ForbesTraveler.com.

Earth Class Mail hired Donald Bloodworth as CFO and COO. The company is a global service that delivers postal mail online.

The Interpublic Emerging Media Lab appointed Raquel Krouse as vice president, director of healthcare. Krouse will liaise with Interpublic agencies and healthcare clients to assist with technology adoption for healthcare professionals and consumers.

VIBE Magazine selected KickApps for the VIBE Verses Rap Battle contest. KickApps, which offers a white label social media platform, will run the online community for the contest that challenges aspiring rap artists to submit videos performing their original lyrics over pre-selected music tracks.

MBlox executive chairman and co-founder Andrew Bud was re-elected to vice chair of the global board of the Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF). This is Bud’s third re-election to the 10-member MEF global board.