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Starcom Mediavest Group announces new regional management structure

Appoints Mike Amour as President, APAC; Iain Jacob to expand oversight to become President, EMEA

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Starcom Mediavest Group announces new regional management structure

Starcom Mediavest Group announces new regional management structure

Appoints Mike Amour as President, APAC; Iain Jacob to expand oversight to become President, EMEA

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Delhi | January 9, 2015

Starcom-Mediavest-Group

Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG), a division of Publicis Groupe, has announced an evolution in its global management organizational structure into five regions: APAC, EMEA, LATAM, North America and North Asia.

For the past four years, SMG had operated in a unique market cluster model organizing the world by market dynamics. The previous model helped accelerate growth for SMG and its offerings to clients in digital, data analytics and content in similar economies, regardless of geographies.

SMG's new structure reflects a shift in how its clients are operating, and creates connected regional networks to drive growth in the next frontier of data-driven content and addressable marketing. As part of these changes, Mike Amour is joining SMG as President, APAC and Iain Jacob will expand his current oversight to become President, EMEA.

SMG's new regional management structure follows a series of acquisitions and partnerships that have strengthened its capabilities in the areas of data-driven content, precision marketing and technology, making each a stronger core competency of the agency. Recent acquisitions include Relevant24 (R24), a leader in creating original, multi-media branded content in real-time and RUN, an ad tech company which has built a world class advantage in mobile and connected experiences across devices. MRY, a leading social media and youth marketing agency within Publicis Groupe, also recently moved under the SMG umbrella. SMG has forged innovative partnerships that give it and its clients' advantage and infrastructure for the future.

Recent partnerships include Acxiom, Adobe, Tencent, Facebook and Twitter. In sum, these changes make SMG globally consistent across three divisions— Connections Brands, like MediaVest, Starcom and Spark, Content brands, like LiquidThread, MRY and Relevant 24, and Solutions and Ad Tech units, like RUN and CONTENT@SCALE —driving its future. Organizing this way allows SMG to simplify for its clients, while covering the spectrum of service, talent, product and technology.

“Our industry landscape around the world is shifting so seismically – and with such velocity – that to be a true agency of tomorrow, we must strategically integrate best talents and solutions wherever they exist.” said Laura Desmond, Global CEO, SMG. “As a result, we're leveraging existing capabilities and continuing to expand our business through acquisitions and partnerships to organize SMG into a different communications network with an edge. As our clients businesses are changing, we're pivoting our organizational structure with them to accelerate the next wave of growth in addressable media and data-driven content all over the world.”

New regional structure

In the new structure, two new regional roles were created: Mike Amour joins the company as President, APAC, and Iain Jacob, currently President of Dynamic Markets, becomes President, EMEA. Continuing in their roles are Monica Gadsby, CEO of LATAM and SMG's U.S. Multicultural operations; Bertilla Teo, CEO of SMG in North Asia, which includes China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea; and SMG North American CEO's, Brian Terkelsen, MediaVest USA and Lisa Donohue, Starcom USA.

Matt Blackborn, previously President, Emerging Markets, takes on the newly created role of President, Global Investment & Diversification. In his new position, Matt will strengthen SMG's investment practice to capitalize on the disruptive changes taking place in the marketplace. Matt will be partnering closely with both Vivaki Exchange and Vivaki leadership teams to drive new media investment models, build on SMG's current successes and disrupt the marketplace. The role builds on Blackborn's expertise overseeing global trading and was created to advance SMG's global investment strategy and deliver incremental value to its clients in the future. Matt is based in London and will report to John Sheehy, President, Global Operations.

All serve on SMG's Global Executive Leadership Council.

“These changes and additions bolster the strength of SMG's senior leadership team, who come from diverse backgrounds, bringing expertise in technology, content and global client management,” said Desmond. “Mike's deep understanding and track record of success in APAC and Iain's digital expertise and leadership across several key markets are examples of these strengths.”

Mike Amour, President, APAC

Responsible for ensuring that the APAC region is aligned with SMG's global vision and purpose, Amour will work across these burgeoning markets to drive global consistency, local relevance and achieve transformational new business wins across global accounts. He'll also ensure adoption of SMG's next generation product, partnerships and new capabilities across the region.

With over 20 years of experience, Amour has held roles as APAC CEO and Chairman with Grey Group and Project: Worldwide, an independent, global network of wholly-owned agencies, over the last ten years and has demonstrated acumen as a skilled operator and businessman in communications. In his most recent role at Project: Worldwide, Amour led the company to double-consolidated revenues in three years via organic growth by creating new partnerships and start-ups and through acquisitions. Prior to this, Amour was Founder and Managing Director of Mayam where he provided CEO level coaching and corporate/marketing strategy development for clients as well as investing in new businesses. Amour has also held roles at McCann-Erickson Worldgroup, Wieden + Kennedy and TBWA Worldwide.

“I have long admired the way that SMG has engineered the many moving pieces required to face the challenges of an ever-shifting media landscape, steps ahead of the marketplace.” Said Amour. “I look forward to working with the tremendous strength of the company's leadership in APAC. Together, we will bring SMG's future forward capabilities in ad-tech, precision marketing and data-driven content to bear in this complex and dynamic region.”

Amour will be based in Singapore and reports to John Sheehy, SMG's President of Global Operations. Hanley King, Chairman, India, Jeffrey Seah, Chairman, SEA, Chris Nolan, CEO, Australia and Alistair Jamison, CEO, New Zealand will all report to him.

Iain Jacob, President, SMG EMEA

Iain Jacob, currently President, Dynamic Markets, will become SMG's President, EMEA to oversee operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Iain returns to an EMEA role, having served as CEO, EMEA before leading SMG's dynamic markets. As President, EMEA, he will further accelerate digital transformation, integrating RUN, MRY and other SMG capabilities as well as driving growth across emergent markets in the region including Africa, the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, Turkey and others. This region has seen new business success recently, including the wins of digital Procter & Gamble business in Turkey and telecom company du in MENA.

As President, Dynamic Markets, Jacob played a key role in the transformation of SMG in markets including Europe, Australia, Canada and Africa into a media network of the future. In 2014, the agency generated 52% of its revenue from digital, data and content services, up from 46% in 2013 and has grown by 2.5 times the industry average. As part of this transformation, Jacob contributed to SMG's acquisition drive which includes Lighthouse Digital, a leading performance marketing agency based in South Africa. SMG Australia has also shown double digit growth of 26% over the past two years under Jacob's oversight, winning major assignments and entering into a first-of-its kind partnership with Adobe. In Europe, key business wins over the past couple of years include Asics, McCormick, LinkedIn, King and Honda social and SMG Europe was key in re-winning the global Samsung business. Recent European awards successes include Eurobest Network of the Year and the contribution of Heineken, Samsung and Honda work to winning Cannes Network of the year and Festival of Media Network of the Year for SMG.

“SMG is operating to create value for brands by organizing data around people and activating that data with precision,” said Jacob. “We believe this strategy works across geopolitical and cultural boundaries, unifying a region as diverse as Europe, the Middle East and Africa. I'm excited at the opportunity to work with all of these markets, as we are seeing clients more and more are now doing business across the entire region.”

Jacob is based in the UK and reports to Desmond.

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

Info@BestMediaInfo.com

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