Business

WME-IMG hires Doug Scott to head branded entertainment

WME-IMG is beefing up its entertainment marketing credentials by hiring Doug Scott, the head of Ogilvy Entertainment.

Scott will become the firm’s executive vice president of marketing and brand solutions and is tasked with bringing advertisers into the fold.

Scott will report to the firm’s president of global sales and marketing, Greg D’Alba. The company announced the appointment internally on Tuesday.

Previously, Scott was a general manager at public-relations firm Bragman, Nyman Cafarelli and the founder of Edelman’s entertainment marketing venture, Matter.

Traditional talent agency WME, run by co-CEOs Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell, is looking beyond Hollywood with the purchase of sports and modeling powerhouse IMG.

WME has cleaning out former IMG Worldwide executives while bringing on a host of fresh faces. D’Alba joined a few months ago from CNN, while other new hires include Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell.

Separately, WME-IMG is parting ways with George Pyne, president of global sports, although he will remain a senior adviser. Pyne is leaving to set up his own venture.

Other departures include senior vice president and global head of IMG Consulting, David Abrutyn, and Rob Ponger, who was senior vice president of strategic planning and is now president of Stealth, a sports consulting firm.

WME, backed by private equity firm Silver Lake, acquired IMG in May for $2.4 billion. By expanding into sports, fashion and events with IMG, WME is betting it can be a much bigger force and potentially pursue an IPO when the time is right.