Michael J. O'Malley Joins JWT Detroit as Global Business Director, Ford

    NEW YORK, April 23 /PRNewswire Interactive Press Release/ -- Peter A.
Schweitzer, President and Chief Executive Officer of J. Walter Thompson
Company, today announced that Michael J. O'Malley, 49, is joining the company
as Executive Vice President, Global Business Director on the Ford Motor Co.
account, based at JWT Detroit.  Mr. O'Malley most recently served as General
Manager, Cadillac Division, of General Motors.
    In his new role, reporting to the CEO, Mr. O'Malley will oversee the
global Ford division advertising account, the agency's largest, which includes
such brand names as Ford Focus and Mustang cars, Ford Econoline trucks and
Ford Explorer SUVs.  JWT serves Ford in nearly 60 countries; a partnership
which began in 1943.
    Peter Schweitzer said, "Mike is a premier addition to our Ford/JWT
management team.  He brings a tremendous depth and breadth of experience from
his 20-year marketing career in the automotive industry.  I'm confident he has
the leadership skills and creative vision to leverage JWT talent toward
providing the finest brand-building work of any major agency."
    The Ford/JWT partnership has produced award-winning mainstream advertising
and pioneered new approaches to integrated communications that have included
digital online communications, the development of brand-centric entertainment
content as well as direct, database and relationship marketing.

    J. Walter Thompson, an agency in the WPP Group, plc. ranks
as the fourth largest advertising agency in the world and the second largest
in the United States, with global billings of $10.8 billion.

    A full biography of Michael J. O'Malley is attached.

                             Michael J. O'Malley
                          Executive Vice President,
                        Global Business Director, Ford
                         J. Walter Thompson, Detroit

    With achievements that span the course of 20 years in the automotive
industry, Michael J. O'Malley, 49, brings a wealth of experience to his new
responsibilities.  Among other accomplishments, he recently helped craft the
successful reorganization of General Motors' regional sales and marketing
activities.  He was also responsible for leading the merger of the Pontiac and
GMC marketing departments.
    O'Malley has served as General Manager, Cadillac Division for the past
year.  Prior to joining Cadillac, O'Malley served as Regional General Manager
for General Motors' North Central Region from January 1999 to April 2000.  He
headed all five GM divisions -- Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile and
Pontiac-GMC -- in that region and worked closely with the regional divisional
marketing managers to ensure marketing objectives were met.  His primary focus
was on the continued transformation of GM from a distribution-based company to
a marketing-based organization and on improving communication with dealers.
    During his time at General Motors, O'Malley served as Marketing Services
Manager of the Pontiac-GMC division at GM where he led 12 US divisional
marketing departments.  He also was GM's General Marketing Manager for the
Buick Motor Division and, for the Cadillac Motor Car Division, was Director of
Advertising & Market Planning and Director of Sales Administration.  He began
his career at General Motors in 1988 as General Director of Strategic
Merchandising Operations with Marketing and Product Planning.
    Before joining GM, O'Malley held sales and marketing positions at Chrysler
from 1981 to 1987, including several posts with car and truck merchandising
and sales promotion.  In 1985, he was named National Advertising Manager for
Dodge cars, and in 1986 he was promoted to National Advertising Manager for
Chrysler.
    From 1977 to 1981, he moved through a series of positions at Ford,
including Owner Relations Manager of the company's Parts and Service Division,
then Sales Analyst and, later, Detroit Zone Manager.  In 1980, he was named
New Business Planning Manager.
    O'Malley's experience in the automotive industry began long before his
corporate positions.  As the son of a professional automobile manager and
sales person, he literally "grew up" in a dealership, working in many
capacities during his school days.  He also sold new and used cars at
dealerships in Ohio and Michigan.
    Mike O'Malley is married and the father of six daughters.  He holds a
Bachelor's degree from Harvard University with a concentration in Economics.
He also earned a Master's of Business Administration, with a concentration in
Finance, from the University of Detroit.

                     MAKE YOUR OPINION COUNT - Click Here
               http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X71652649