Patti will join the agency on March 1, succeeding Ron Bess, who takes a larger corporate role as vice-chairman of integration and business development at Young & Rubicam, part of the WPP Group.
Patti is an award-winning creative, whose work on Pepsi alone has received 12 Cannes Lions in the past nine years.
Mike Dolan, chairman and CEO of Y&R Advertising and Young & Rubicam, said: "Michael will be a spectacular addition to our agency. He's got brilliant creative instincts, a reel that is a source of genuine envy, and a solid history of building strong relationships with clients that lead to memorable, brand-building advertising."
At the Omnicom Group-owned BBDO, Patti held the vice-chairman role and worked on campaigns such as Pepsi's controversial "Like A Prayer" spot and the post-September 11 "New York Miracle" campaign, which featured celebrities such as Woody Allen and Robert DeNiro. He also worked on the recent relaunch of General Electric.
He joined the agency 18 years ago, and was promoted to the executive creative director role in 1993. Patti will be the fourth creative in the history of Young & Rubicam to run the flagship New York office.
According to Patti: "When I was going to school at the School of Visual Arts, I used to come to Y&R to put my book together. Y&R was the agency we all thought of when you said 'Madison Avenue' and, in fact, today it's the only agency on Madison Avenue. This is a great moment for me. I feel like I've come full circle."
He added: "My decision to come here was based on looking to the future, however, not the past. I have great respect for Mike Dolan. We've had lots of dinners and have become good friends. I think we will complement each other and will be great working partners. We think alike, we share the same goal -- doing great work for great clients. And that's just what we're going to do."
Y&R Advertising also announced that Jim Ferguson has been named as executive creative director of Y&R North America.
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