As we wrap up the first quarter of 2018, there’s been another rush of changes and new recruitments within the performance marketing industry. Find out who’s moved where in the latest edition of Movers & Shakers.
UK
Kicking off in the UK, digital marketing agency MediaCom confirmed the appointment of Ben Rickard as chief digital and data officer in light of the imminent introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation. Joining from Wavemaker, Rickard will solely be responsible to ensure the agency’s digital and data capabilities are up to standard.
Following the opening of two new European offices in Munich and Milan, affiliate network Webgains announced the appointment of former Pepperjam managing director, Derek Freer, as UK MD. Freer will be responsible for bolstering the company’s UK client advertiser portfolio which includes brands such as Samsung, Nike and Oakley, as well as working with a number of Webgains’ key functional positions.
Meanwhile, advertising technology platform Adform has shuffled its leadership team following a strong period of growth. Adform’s chief operating officer Oliver Whitten has had his role expanded, following the departure of chief revenue officer Jay Stevens due to family commitments.
Over at Mporium Group, the technology firm has confirmed the appointment of Glyn Shadwell as chief operating officer on a non-board role. Shadwell was previously head of strategy & client partnerships at global tech firm Quantcast which specialises in AI-driven advertising and real-time audience measurement.
Having served 11 years the Hotwire’s London headquarters, the global communications agency has promoted Kate Hunter to head of B2B, UK, where she’ll oversee the agency’s existing B2B clients as well as helping deliver integrated communications programmes and expanding the business to global markets.
EMEA
Publicis Media has appointed Kristen Kelly as EVP Publicis Media Precision for EMEA. Overseeing the team in the region, Kelly will aid in providing expert data, technology solutions and capabilities to maximise client value and media efficiency.
Supporting the agency’s EMEA growth, Merkle has appointed Margaret Wagner to the role of executive vice president, growth officer for EMEA. Wagner will be tasked with leading Merkle’s business opportunities in the region, including those in combination with the Dentsu Aegis Network.
On its ongoing pursuit to tackle ad fraud and improve transparency, global certification organisation Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) has hired former IAB UK director of regulatory affairs Nick Stringer to oversee its first European office in London.
APAC
The APAC region has seen a mix of changes; most noticeably from agency Carat APAC who has parted ways with Adam Bow following allegations that the former head of content was not adhering to the agency’s code of conduct.
Meanwhile, JJ Eastwood, former CEO of HuffPost Australia has moved to Rakuten Marketing as APAC MD. Spanning a career which includes positions at Fairfax, News Corp, Rocketfuel and eBay, Eastwood replaces former MD Anthony Capano who moves to London to manage the company’s European operations.
Independent data management platform Lotame has expanded its executive team with the promotions of Evgeny Popov to regional vice president of data solutions, Gaurav Seth to managing director in India and Alison Harding to vice president of data solutions in EMEA.
Facing increased demand in the APAC market, partner marketing firm Performance Horizon has made a batch of key hires. Focusing on customer success and business development, the recruitments include Tom Hsu (customer success manager), Michael Holden (strategic accounts director), William Mulholland (client services executive) and Harry Duggan (business development manager).
US
Chicago-based data-driven marketing provider Epsilon has recruited Jeff Fagel as senior vice president, head of marketing. Fagel will play a key role at the US-based headquarters and its digital media arm Conversant in growing relationships with clients and the company’s leadership position in the data-driven marketing space.
Lastly, within the influencer marketing industry, Ricky Ray Butler, who spoke at last year’s PI LIVE event has been promoted as Branded Entertainment Network’s new CEO. The firm, which connects brands to consumers through entertainment content, will benefit from Butler’s pioneer experience in influencer marketing, having successfully expanded client relationships including Ubisoft and Microsoft.