(Adds details, background)
NEW YORK, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Advertising agency J. Walter Thompson, a unit of the WPP Group , on Wednesday named Bob Jeffrey as its new chief executive to head a revamped team of senior management taken from inside company ranks.
Jeffrey will take on his new post on Jan. 1, replacing Peter Schweitzer, who was appointed chairman of the company. Michael Madel was named president of the agency, a post also currently held by Schweitzer.
Jeffrey comes to the new post from his position as president of JWT North America for the last two years, the agency said in a statement. He will continue to oversee the North American business in addition to the JWT Latin American unit.
Last month, Jeffrey presided over the move of a $300 million consumer brand account for drugmaker Pfizer Inc. to JWT from the Bates agency, which was acquired under WPP Group's purchase of smaller UK rival Cordiant.
Within the company, Jeffrey developed business divisions for Internet advertising and for health-care branding and marketing.
Madel has been working as president and chief executive of the JWT's Europe, Middle East and Africa division since 1997.
Schweitzer has worked at JWT for nearly 30 years. For more than half that time, he ran the agency's global business for Ford Motor Co. , the company said. Other JWT clients include Unilever, Kraft, Merrill Lynch and the U.S. Marine Corps.