Press Release

NEW YORK, June 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Sean F. Orr, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG), said today that the company had named David I. C. Weatherseed, a veteran advertising industry executive, Vice President and Controller.

Weatherseed, 49, joins Interpublic from Saatchi & Saatchi plc (a subsidiary of Publicis Groupe SA), where he served as Executive Vice President and Deputy Group Finance Director. He joined Saatchi & Saatchi in 1990, and during his tenure was responsible for worldwide financial functions, including tax, treasury and operational analysis.

"David Weatherseed brings a wealth of advertising industry experience to Interpublic, and has special expertise in measuring the financial performance of marketing communications companies," said Orr. "We're delighted he's joining our team."

Weatherseed joins Interpublic on June 18.

Weatherseed began his career as a chartered accountant in the United Kingdom. Before joining Saatchi & Saatchi, Weatherseed served as worldwide controller at IMS International, then the world's second-largest market research concern. His previous experience included finance and accounting positions at U.S-listed multinationals, including Itel International and CSS International, a division of Dun + Bradstreet.

Weatherseed and his wife, Linda, have five children and live in Greenwich, CT.

He succeeds Fred Molz, who has been named Vice President-Financial Planning and Analysis, a new position at Interpublic. Molz will establish a new department at Interpublic, responsible for operational planning and performance analysis.

"Fred's vast knowledge of Interpublic's operations makes him the perfect leader for this important function," according to Sean Orr. "As our company grows larger and more complex, we need increasingly sophisticated planning and forecasting tools."

Molz, 44, joined Interpublic's tax department in 1982 from Arthur Young & Company. He was named Assistant Controller in 1991, and three years later became Senior Vice President-Financial Operations of Ammirati, Puris Lintas Worldwide, a subsidiary of Interpublic. He was elected Vice President and Controller of Interpublic in 1999.

Molz holds BBA and MBA degrees from Pace University. He and his wife, Lucille, have two sons.

The Interpublic Group of Companies is one of the largest global organizations of advertising agencies and marketing communications companies. Its major worldwide companies include McCann-Erickson WorldGroup, The Lowe Group, Draft Worldwide, Initiative Media Worldwide, Octagon, NFO WorldGroup and the Allied Communications Group. On March 18, Interpublic agreed to acquire True North Communications (NYSE: TNO) in a pooling of interests transaction valued at $2.1 billion. The acquisition is expected to close this summer, following a True North shareholder vote on June 19.

SOURCE The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc.