Tristan O'Carroll, Media Week, 31 July 2008, 3:52pm

IPA elects two vice-chairman

LONDON - The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) has elected two vice-chairmen to assist the trade body's new digital chair, Matt Simpson.

IPA vice-chairmen named

Dave Katz, head of digital trading at Media Contacts and Pete Robins, founder of agenda21, will work across the IPA's Digital Media Group, which aims to raise digital standards by improving the planning, buying, accountability and integration of interactive advertising.

Katz and Robins will assist Simpson, group head of digital at OMD, in his chairmanship and will help to further the group's agenda.

Issues they will be looking at include improving service levels among media owners; tightening up best practice in campaign delivery; addressing the need for more training, and finding an effective online measurement tool.

Katz said: "Now I have an even greater opportunity to address some of the issues I see facing the industry as a whole, issues which occasionally hamper our ability to increase share of voice and consumer confidence with online advertising and the web in general."

Simpson was appointed the IIPA's Digital Media Group chair in June. He succeeded Wayne Arnold, European chief executive of digital agency Profero.