Advertising agency executive Ingrid Otero-Smart, who spent a good part of her career in Orange County, is returning to run Casanova Pendrill of Costa Mesa, the largest Hispanic advertising agency here.
Otero-Smart is set to join Casanova Pendrill, part of Interpublic Group of Cos., on Aug. 4 from Anita Santiago Advertising in Santa Monica. Current Casanova Chief Executive Dan Nance is set to become chairman.
From 1987 to 2005, Otero-Smart was with WPP Group PLC’s Hispanic agency Mendoza Dillon & Asociados in Irvine, including as president and chief operating officer.
Mendoza was combined with WPP’s Mosaica in 2005.
Casanova’s clients include General Mills Inc., Nestl & #233; SA and GlaxoSmithKline PLC.
The company has yearly capitalized billings of about $220 million and is the third-largest ad agency of any type in OC.
Otero-Smart was president at Anita Santiago. She’s a native of Puerto Rico, where she worked with Interpublic’s McCann Erickson.