Industry Moves: OMD UK Digi, PPA CEO, Rubicon/AOL, INM Ads

OMD UK: Omnicom’s media shop is upping its digital strategy director Will Smyth, an I-Level alum, to digital head, replacing Martin Shaw, who relocated to OMD Beijing in March. Via MediaWeek.

PPA CEO: The Periodical Publishers’ Association has had its CEO Jonathan Shephard quit, one year in to the job, with no successor in sight. Eric Verdon-Roe will be a transitional consultant. Via Press Gazette.

Project Rubicon: The new company that aims to sell publishers’ unsold ad space is adding another Platform-A (NYSE: TWX) UK refugee. Ex publisher services director Oli Whitten will lead its European ad networks relationships. Ex MySpace Europe VP Jay Stevens heads Rubicon UK as Rubicon VP and GM.

INM: The Independent.co.uk publisher is adding ex Hachette commercial director Ann O’Neill as its classified ads director for the Indie papers, replacing Jo Redfern. Via MediaWeek. It’s a difficult time for classified ads – Jan-to-Jun Indie ad sales were down by a third annually.