CEO of GMMediaWorks Sirvaitis Black Flagged

NEW YORK May 13, 2005; Matthew Creamer writing for AdAge.com reported that following the loss of General Motors Corp.'s $3.5 billion media-buying account, Rick Sirvaitis, the head of the 200-person shop established to handle the business, has been pushed out by parent Interpublic Group of Cos., the company said.

Mr. Sirvaitis, president-CEO of Interpublic's GM Mediaworks, was sidelined during the review, and his deputy, John Miles, had already been handed the day-to-day operational leadership of the agency, sparking rumors Mr. Sirvaitis would be ousted.

This week, GM awarded the business to Publicis Groupe’s GM Planworks, which has handled media-planning duties for the automaker.

Interpublic said it is unlikely he will be replaced given that Mediaworks lost the only account it worked on. Mediaworks staffers are expected to be hired by Publicis, moved within Interpublic or laid off.

Mr. Sirvaitis could not immediately be reached for comment