Interpublic Co-Chairman Retires

NEW YORK -- David Bell, a former chief executive of Interpublic Group of Cos., is retiring as co-chairman of the firm, The Wall Street Journal reported.

He will become a chairman emeritus and maintain a consulting relationship with the company.

Bell took the co-chairman's title after stepping down as CEO of Interpublic in January 2005. He was named chairman and chief executive in February 2003 but gave up the chairman's role in 2004 to Michael I. Roth. Roth added the CEO title at the start of last year.

In 2003, when Bell took the top job at Interpublic, the company was struggling to deal with numerous operational and financial challenges, including accounting problems at one of its agencies that sparked a Securities and Exchange Commission probe still under way.

-- NYSSCPA.org News Staff

Posted on 3/20/06