Microsoft has appointed Thom Gruhler as corporate vice president of Windows Phone marketing. Gruhler joins Microsoft from McCann Worldgroup, where he served as global managing partner of telecommunication and technology. At Microsoft, Gruhler will lead all advertising, marketing and communications activities for the Windows Phone division and will work with product engineering teams and telecommunications partners to create awareness and customer demand for Windows Phone devices, software and services. Before that, Gruhler served eight years as the global leader of McCann's Verizon business, leading an integrated multidisciplinary team of agencies. As president of McCann Erickson New York, he also oversaw McCann's clients, including Mastercard, Kohl's and McCann Worldgroup's Sony Ericsson. Before his tenure at McCann, Gruhler managed global brands such as Barclays, DaimlerChrysler, HP, Hilton and Salomon Smith Barney at other agencies within the Interpublic Group, the holding company parent of McCann Worldwide.
