The move follows Ben Langdon's recent promotion to chief executive and chairman of McCann-Erickson World Group EMEA. Langdon's new role sees him taking on responsibility for McCann's non-advertising companies.
His new remit leaves him with fewer opportunities to liaise directly with clients, so Whyte has been hired to support Langdon in this capacity.
As well as having general responsibility for most of McCann's European clients, Whyte will also take charge of a specific handful of accounts based outside the UK. He will begin working for McCann-Erickson Europe early in the new year, although a specific date has yet to be fixed.
Langdon explained: "I'm going to be spending a lot of time dealing with McCann's corridor companies, so we need first-class people to ensure our advertising clients are happy."
Whyte said: "I have long admired what Ben has achieved at McCann and, as the scale, breadth and quality of the agency's global and regional accounts is unmatched by any other network, this role is challenging and very exciting."
Whyte was ousted from Leo Burnett in February this year to make way for the agency's current group chief executive, Bruce Haines.
In September, he was appointed as the acting managing director at Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy, where he worked in a freelance capacity, while the managing director, Helen Calcraft, was on maternity leave.
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