PEOPLE : Top Executive at L.A. Ad Agency to Transfer

The top executive at the Los Angeles ad agency that creates ads for the Japanese car maker Infiniti has been reassigned to a corporate role in the agency’s Boston headquarters.

Chuck Kushell, executive vice president and managing director of the West Coast division of Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos, has been named executive vice president-corporate development for the company. In his new role, Kushell, 37, will oversee new business for the agency nationally.

Kushell said he will remain in Los Angeles for several months to help select his successor.

“Things are just starting to roll in Los Angeles,” said Kushell, whose agency created those Infiniti ads that feature pictures of rocks and trees and an announcer who talks in a whisper. “Momentum is a hard thing to establish in the agency business.”

Kushell’s departure marks the second shift of a senior executive from the Los Angeles office this year. About four months ago, the No. 2 person in the Los Angeles office, Don Easdon, co-creative director, left to join the agency’s Boston office. Easdon was replaced by Dan Mountain.

Kushell insists that his departure is not related to any unhappiness from any of the agency’s Los Angeles clients. Besides Infiniti--which has posted disappointing sales--clients include PacTel Cellular phones and The Times. He said his move to Boston was related to new business the agency plans to pitch. Last month, the Boston office won the coveted $40-million Reebok business.