LIVONIA, Mich., Jan. 26 -- Valassis, the leading company in marketing services and Connective Media, announced today that Rob Mason, Valassis Senior Vice President, Retail and Services, will be promoted to President, ADVO Inc., effective at the close of the Valassis-ADVO transaction. Mason will assume general management and profit & loss responsibilities while focusing on sales and marketing efforts. He will also provide strategic direction for ADVO, working closely with leaders across both ADVO and Valassis. "Rob is a proven leader with an outstanding reputation in the media services industry," said Alan F. Schultz, Valassis Chairman, President and CEO. "His outstanding leadership skills, sales prowess and integrity make him the ideal person to serve as President, ADVO Inc. I am confident Rob will be as successful a leader at ADVO as he has been at Valassis." Under Mason's leadership in his current role, the Retail and Services division has grown to represent nearly $600 million in revenue. In the last two years, his division brought in over 50 percent of all new customers to Valassis. His division has also seen significant growth within the preprint segment from the retail, food service, telecommunications and manufacturer customer verticals. Prior to his recent role within Valassis, Mason was a successful Account Executive and Director of Sales for the company, and has been recognized as Sales Person of the Year and Team Player of the Year. Before joining Valassis in 1995, he held a variety of positions within the newspaper and printing industries.