Content area
Full Text
PERSPECTIVE
Michael Roth is, by all accounts, a rather convincing adman. At least compared with his predecessor, David Bell. In the two months since he stepped into the Interpublic chief executive role, Roth has generated a good press even off-the-record-from his senior management. And there aren't many network or holding company bosses who can say that.
Apparently, among the troops who have been given the Roth treatment there is a sense of relief; after so much bitterness and teeth-gnashing, the view is that here is a man who might actually do something to address IPG's embedded problems. Roth was once described by Donny Deutsch as "one of those brilliant thugs": a charmer who's also a do-er, a relatively rare combination. And already he's negotiated himself a pay rise to a handsome $1.1 million-a-year salary, so the board seems happy.
So far so good, then. Add in the global Nokia win for Lowe and last week's Intel triumph for McCann Erickson (though...