Laura Desmond has been named CEO of Starcom MediaVest Group/The Americas, effective Oct. 1.

Ms. Desmond is currently CEO of MediaVest USA. Her oversight of MediaVest will continue into next year, when a transition plan will be put together and day-to-day responsibilities for running the agency will be handled by its executives in New York. Ms. Desmond will also continue her oversight of clients including Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble.

In her new role, Ms. Desmond will oversee regions including Canada, the U.S. and Latin America, and agencies including Starcom, MediaVest, GM Planworks, StarLink, Halogen and Tapestry.