Starting in the UK, current CEO and co-founder of global media agency TRUTH, Mary-Keane Dawson has been made a chairperson of the board at marketing platform Tech Essence, ready to serve as a strategic advisor to the company as it continues to expand into EMEA, working closely with CEO, Ken Leren, and chief commercial officer, Ricki Jones.
Digital performance marketing company Merkle has hired Pegasystems’ Stefan van der Wielen to lead the further expansion of its EMEA Pega alliance as the firm pushes to meet its targets in the region, and performance marketing agency Tug has increased its forces in the UK with the recruitment of Eoin O’Neill as CTO and global head of SEO.
Meanwhile in APAC, Dentsu Aegis Network has appointed Sonal Patel as president of programmatic services. Previously Singapore managing director and APAC VP at AppNexus, Patel will aid in developing strategic products and articulate data-led programmatic proposition across the region to deliver the company’s ambition of being a “100% digital economy business” by 2020.
Still in the region, media solutions provider Spafax has appointed Jean-Marc Thomas as managing director, Asia. Thomas arrives from a recent role as head of digital APAC at Carat and will now oversee Spafax’s team in both Singapore and Kuala Lumpur while driving the platform’s digital media strategies and new business in the region.
GroupM has hired former Sizmek Australia head Imran Masood as managing director of its programmatic platform Xaxis after nearly two years at the helm of the company. Masood joins Xasis’ general manager Steve Wood who transitions across from data, tech and service hub [m]Platform Platform Australia where he is director of services.
In the same month, Publicis Media announced its unified leadership structure across EMEA and APAC with the recruitment of Gerry Boyle as CEO of Publicis Media in both regions. In addition, Nicole Pruesse has been appointed as chief operating officer of APAC, put in charge with delivering business across the region.
Following Impact’s recent rebrand, the company continues its course in EMEA with Florian Gramshammer joining managing director for the region. Gramshammer brings 17 years of marketing and ad tech leadership as he gears up to develop and execute the SaaS-based digital marketing platform’s European growth strategy.
Announced today, a former Telefonica partner account manager moves to Decision Tech as senior commercial manager; Mark Pocock joins from the Spanish multinational telecoms group, tasked with leading the strategic commercial direction of the Home Communications portfolio, heading up a team of account managers in managing day-to-day commercial relationships with over 20 key providers.
Over at Visualsoft, the e-commerce firm has recruited Hayley Wright as digital marketing manager as it marks its 20th anniversary. Wright will be taking on creative strategies for the business’ SEO, PPC, paid social and email marketing campaigns.
Mobile data company Ogury has confirmed the appointment of Elie Kanaan as chief marketing officer, tapping into his over 25 years of experience to lead global marketing and communications initiatives in addition to the firm’s expansion plans, while native advertising platform TripleLift announced the appointments of Jacqueline Quantrell (global chief revenue officer), Jason Kleinman (general manager of branded content) and Tom Anderson (general manager of mobile).
Those with ears to the ground in affiliate will have heard that Tradedoubler appointed Chris Russell-Smith as the firm’s UK country manager. Russell-Smith, who joined the company in June 2012, previously held the position of group director and takes the role as predecessor James Milne announced his departure to pursue “new challenges”.
Finally, rattling the digital marketing industry and worthy of a special mention in this month’s Movers & Shakers, WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell stepped down from his role. Mark Read (chief executive officer of Wunderman and WPP Digital) and Andrew Scott (WPP’s corporate development director and chief operating officer, Europe), meanwhile, have stepped to serve as joint COOs.