Tag: Gustavo Martinez

  • JWT CEO Gustavo Martinez steps down, Tamara Ingram to replace him

    JWT CEO Gustavo Martinez steps down, Tamara Ingram to replace him

    MUMBAI: WPP has released an official notice announcing that  JWT CEO and chairman Gustavo Martinez, who recently made headlines for being accused of “an unending stream of racist and sexist comments”, has stepped down from his role, and will be replaced by Tamara Ingram who is currently the chief client team officer at WPP.She will step into Martizen’s shoes as the CEO of the company.

    The company statement read: “By mutual agreement, Martinez has resigned in the best interest of the J. Walter Thompson Co. George Rogers succeeds Ingram as WPP’s Chief Client Team Officer with immediate effect, in addition to his current duties as WPP’s Global Business Development Director.”

    Tamara Ingram has led the P&G business at WPP since joining the company in 2004; she was previously group CEO of McCann Worldgroup, and her promotion to chief client team officer in 2015 made her one of the most powerful women in advertising.

    According to the WPP statement, she will be replaced in that position immediately by global business development director George Rogers, who will occupy both roles.

    The move comes a week after Erin Johnson, chief communications officer at JWT, filed a detailed 28-page lawsuit in New York on March 10 claiming, among other things, that Martinez made multiple “racist and sexist slurs.” The suit details numerous incidents, and names other senior executives at the agency that allegedly witnessed the claims or were told by Ms. Johnson that they happened.

  • JWT CEO Gustavo Martinez steps down, Tamara Ingram to replace him

    JWT CEO Gustavo Martinez steps down, Tamara Ingram to replace him

    MUMBAI: WPP has released an official notice announcing that  JWT CEO and chairman Gustavo Martinez, who recently made headlines for being accused of “an unending stream of racist and sexist comments”, has stepped down from his role, and will be replaced by Tamara Ingram who is currently the chief client team officer at WPP.She will step into Martizen’s shoes as the CEO of the company.

    The company statement read: “By mutual agreement, Martinez has resigned in the best interest of the J. Walter Thompson Co. George Rogers succeeds Ingram as WPP’s Chief Client Team Officer with immediate effect, in addition to his current duties as WPP’s Global Business Development Director.”

    Tamara Ingram has led the P&G business at WPP since joining the company in 2004; she was previously group CEO of McCann Worldgroup, and her promotion to chief client team officer in 2015 made her one of the most powerful women in advertising.

    According to the WPP statement, she will be replaced in that position immediately by global business development director George Rogers, who will occupy both roles.

    The move comes a week after Erin Johnson, chief communications officer at JWT, filed a detailed 28-page lawsuit in New York on March 10 claiming, among other things, that Martinez made multiple “racist and sexist slurs.” The suit details numerous incidents, and names other senior executives at the agency that allegedly witnessed the claims or were told by Ms. Johnson that they happened.

  • JWT & Group SJR launch content marketing unit – Colloquial

    JWT & Group SJR launch content marketing unit – Colloquial

    MUMBAI: J. Walter Thompson and Group SJR, a unit of Hill+Knowlton Strategies have joined hands to launch a content marketing unit called Colloquial.

     

    The joint venture brings together the creative talent and strategic rigor of J. Walter Thompson with the publishing and audience development experience of Group SJR.

     

    Colloquial will build publishing environments for brands, specializing in content that builds loyalty and audience over time – short articles, infographics and visual stories for brands that are quickly conceived, made and shared. It is a content marketing unit that shows brands how to act like publishers and benefit from an always-on digital narrative, helping them build passionate and monetizable communities.

     

    Colloquial will embody the intersection of advertising, publishing and public relations, with storytelling and creativity at its core. The new unit will share locations and draw on talent from J. Walter Thompson in key global markets including Australia, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States.

     

    “The launch of Colloquial is another piece of our strategy to continue building on J. Walter Thompson Company’s many assets to create solutions that build enduring and winning brands, while driving business growth for our clients. Content is the new currency. Colloquial will deliver both authentic narratives and the creative visual storytelling that brands are demanding and consumers want,” said J. Walter Thompson Company global chairman and CEO Gustavo Martinez.

     

    Group SJR managing partner Alexander Jutkowitz will serve as Colloquial’s CEO.

    “Successful brands innovate. Not only is that what J. Walter Thompson and Group SJR are doing with the creation of Colloquial, but it’s what we’re going to do for our clients — ensuring they have the ability to continuously reach targeted, ‘always on’ audiences with an array of engaging, high quality content that moves them,” said Jutkowitz.

     

    In addition to Jutkowitz as CEO, Colloquial will be led by William (Billy) Sind as editorial lead; Jinal Shah as strategy lead; and Gillian Melrose as marketing lead.

     

    “With the creative and strategic rigor of J. Walter Thompson, the creation of our digital agency network Mirum and now the launch of Colloquial, the J. Walter Thompson Company offers the full spectrum of content marketing to clients. We’re fortunate to have such great talent from across the advertising, public relations and publishing spaces, and know they’ll make a formidable team,” said J. Walter Thompson Company head of digital worldwide Stefano Zunino.    

  • JWT consolidates its 11 digital agencies under Mirum

    JWT consolidates its 11 digital agencies under Mirum

    MUMBAI: J. Walter Thompson Company has consolidated its digital agencies under a new global network brand called Mirum.

     

    Mirum will unite JWT’s 11 digital agencies spanning 17 countries and 40 offices. Former Digitaria CEO Dan Khabie will take the helm as Mirum Global and North America CEO. In this role, Khabie will have oversight of Mirum’s overall growth strategy, including P&L responsibility, managing key client relationships and aligning resources to service clients globally. He will report to J. Walter Thompson Company global CEO Gustavo Martinez, and be based between the West Coast and the East Coast.

     

    Mirum is a new company created with a pioneering spirit, built by bringing together successful regional companies that have a deep understanding of local market needs. Mirum’s principles are rooted in innovation, design, data, marketing and technology to drive business transformation in a world of constantly evolving behaviors and expectations.

     

    Mirum companies include Digitaria (U.S.), XM (Asia Pacific), CASA (Brazil), ActivearkJWT (Finland, Sweden, India and U.K.) and Twist Image (Canada). Lunchbox (U.S.), i-Cherry (Brazil), HeathWallace (U.K.), Quirk (South Africa and U.K.), Clarus (Mexico) and X-Prime (France) will also join Mirum.

     

    “The launch of Mirum is an integral part of our strategy to continue building on J. Walter Thompson Company’s many assets and capabilities in order to drive business transformation,” said Martinez. “Mirum is poised to deliver both the technology and creative solutions that global brands demand.”

     

    “Dan’s natural entrepreneurial instincts and passion will foster Mirum’s startup mentality as he drives growth forward across our global network,” said J. Walter Thompson head of digital worldwide and Mirum chairman Stefano Zunino.

     

    Mirum’s capabilities are organized around strategy & consulting services, creative & content, user experience & platforms, analytics & insight and product development & mobile. Additionally, Mirum has deep vertical service offerings in Digital Retail, Behavioral Media and Financial Services.

     

    Current clients include CBRE, Cyrela, Daum Kakao, Finnair, HSBC, Magazine Luiza, Mazda, Microsoft, Nokia, Petco, Singapore Tourism Board, TD Bank, Walmart and XL, among others.

     

    “I am extremely honored to have been given this exciting yet humbling role in leading some of the most talented thinkers and makers in the world,” said Khabie. “Over the last year we have worked hard as a leadership team to integrate all of these agencies together under one common vision and operational structure while keeping the entrepreneurial spirit in each region. We have become a borderless agency with a collaborative, passionate culture, and it has already led us to win global clients that will be announced on a later date.”

     

    Daiga Atvara will be chief design officer; Matt Webb, chief technology officer; Dave Wallace, chief operations officer; Nick Read, chief financial officer; Sarah Kotlova, global head of agency services; and John Baker, chief marketing officer. Khabie plans on naming a chief creative officer, chief strategy officer and global head of data & analytics over the next six months.

     

    Khabie has also named his global leadership team, which includes Robin Bade and Markus Hakala, Europe; Rob Stokes, MEA; Guilherme Gomide, LATAM; Nanda Ivens, APAC; Mark Goodman, NA; Alex Kavinski, Behavioral Media; and Kevin Weisberg, Digital Retail Marketing.

  • Tarun Rai to replace Colvyn Harris as JWT South Asia CEO

    Tarun Rai to replace Colvyn Harris as JWT South Asia CEO

    MUMBAI: Beginning early 2015, Tarun Rai will step into the shoes of Colyvn Harris as JWT South Asia CEO.

     

    Harris, who has had a longstanding tenure with the company, will assume the role of global growth and client development executive director and will report to J Walter Thompson Company CEO Gustavo Martinez.

     

    In the role of CEO, Rai will lead JWT, which includes India, Sri Lanka and Nepal, as well as JWT’s Indian companies, including Contract Advertising, Hungama Digital Services, J. Walter Thompson Mindset, Encompass and Social Wavelength. He will report to Martinez and will work closely with Asia Pacific CFO Nick Romas.

     

    “I am thrilled to welcome Tarun Rai back to J. Walter Thompson. Tarun has the global business acumen and pioneering spirit needed to lead J. Walter Thompson south Asia. He was an important part of our, and now he will be a critical part of our future,” said Martinez.

     

    Rai rejoins the company from Worldwide Media, where he held the role of CEO since 2008. Under Rai’s leadership, Worldwide Media (then a joint venture of The Times of India Group and BBC Worldwide) grew exponentially.

     

    “It’s wonderful to return home to J. Walter Thompson during this pivotal time in the company’s history. Being away for a few years has given me an invaluable ‘outside-in’ perspective of the advertising business. Having a chance to head J. Walter Thompson South Asia and work with Gustavo Martinez as he leads J. Walter Thompson into the next 150 years is a huge honour,” added Rai.

     

    During his tenure at JWT, Rai helped build some of the world’s most reputed brands; his clients included Hindustan Unilever, Diageo, GlaxoSmithKline, Pizza Hut, De Beers, ITC, Tata Steel, Nestlé, Hero, Godrej and Kellogg’s. Rai is an advertising and media professional with more than 25 years’ experience. He holds a business degree and is an alumnus of the London School of Economics.

     

    Harris, who has spent 35 years at JWT, has been Contract Advertising CEO and J. Walter Thompson Colombo managing director. He also holds various industry leadership roles and board positions, including Advertising Agencies Association of India president.

     

    Under his leadership, J. Walter Thompson South Asia has built a formidable reputation with a diverse spectrum of traditional, mainstream, activation, events and digital marketing services capabilities, including the acquisitions of Encompass, Hungama Digital Services, Mindset and Social Wavelength. The agency also won its first Cannes Grand Prix and first Titanium Lion under his leadership, and was the highest awarded Indian agency at Cannes 2014. The company has deepened the scope and scale of the services it offers in the market, from digital to events and activation, through organic growth and acquisitions.

     

    Harris said, “Every day has been an opportunity across my professional career at J. Walter Thompson. Building our capabilities to meet the ambition of our clients’ brands has been my relentless passion and purpose. I have worked with the most amazing and talented team one can ever hope for, and the bluest-of-blue chip clients across every category one can dream of. I am proud to have sustained and grown our client partnerships, and that our clients continue to be leaders in their respective categories for the ideas we have delivered for them. I look forward to being an integral part of the global client development team.”

     

    “I am deeply grateful for Colvyn Harris’ longstanding leadership and commitment to J. Walter Thompson. Colvyn has been a real asset and a great support during my first 11 months in the company. He will continue to help me further the growth of the company in this new role,” added Martinez.

     

    “2015 will be a big year, especially for J. Walter Thompson South Asia under Tarun’s leadership and vision,” concluded Martinez.