PEOPLE : New West Coast Chairman for Saatchi

Just six months after unveiling a slew of top management changes, Saatchi & Saatchi DFS/Pacific, the Torrance ad agency that creates ads for Toyota, has announced a new round of appointments. Among them, a new chairman of its West Coast operations was named.

In an unusual move, Ed Wax, 53, who is already president and chief executive of New York-based Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising (North America), has also assumed the position as chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi DFS/Pacific. Wax, who will remain in New York, replaces Jim Lindsey, 56, who was appointed vice chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Worldwide.

For more than a year, the agency has tried to step up its efforts to find new clients. But in November, Nelson (Skip) Riddle, the executive in charge of the agency’s non-Toyota business, left the firm to start his own management consulting company.

Lindsey, who has been with Saatchi & Saatchi for 22 years, will continue to work out of the Torrance office. He will now be responsible for the worldwide development of the agency’s Toyota business.

In other management changes, Joe Cronin, 45, has been promoted from chief operating officer of the Torrance office, to chief executive of that office, and vice chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi DFS/Pacific. Ron Colnett, 60, has been promoted to president of Saatchi & Saatchi DFS/Pacific, in addition to his position as chairman and chief executive of the San Francisco office. Cronin and Colnett will both report to Wax.