The mobile marketing industry is ever-changing, and that applies to the people as much as the technology. Movers & Shakers is a regular feature following the hottest hires in the industry, so you can keep track of who’s joined which company, and what they’re doing there.

Publicis Focuses on Talent with Two New Appointments
Advertising giant Publicis Groupe is placing a renewed focus on talent management and recruitment with the news that Emmanuel André, former international president of TBWA/Worldwide, is taking up the newly-created position of chief talent officer at the firm. Meanwhile, Publicis Media, one of the group’s four solution hubs, has also named a chief talent officer for the UK in the form of David Goggins.

Emmanuel André will work directly with the Solutions CEOs and their respective chief talent officers, who will be functionally reporting to him. He will also be in charge of all Groupe learning, development programs and group culture. He began his career in advertising in 1993, and has worked in Paris, Hong Kong and New York, rising from an account executive at TBWA Paris to lead global accounts, work as chief operating officer for TBWA/Worldwide’s US business and, most recently, serve as its president.

“Publicis Group clearly has the vision, the right business model and the energy to write an exciting new chapter for our industry, and they’ve placed talent and culture at the top of their priorities,” said André. “I’ve spent my whole career witnessing how these things make all the difference in our business and I’m honoured to join the team.”

Goggins will oversee talent investment, development and training at the network’s five agency brands and associated practices in the UK, representing over 1,500 employees. He boasts 21 years’ experience, having previously held senior positions at IBM, Meteor Mobile and Canonical, and joins from talent software provider Insala, where he was managing director, responsible for leading a global team and working with a wide variety of clients on talent development strategies.

GoDaddy CEO Blake Irving Announces Retirement
Blake Irving, CEO of web hosting and cloud platform provider GoDaddy, has revealed that he will be retiring at the end of the year, with Scott Wagner, the firm’s president and chief operating officer, set to succeed him in the leadership role. Irving will continue to serve on GoDaddy’s board of directors through to June 2018.

“After more than three decades in technology, I’ve decided it’s time to retire and begin the next phase of life,” said Irving. “Over the last five years, we’ve assembled a seasoned and diverse leadership team, and expanded our reach around the world, now serving customers in 125 countries with purpose-build products – all while doubling our revenue and profits. GoDaddy’s trajectory is clear and our momentum strong. It is the perfect time to transition leadership to Scott Wagner. I couldn’t be prouder of what the company has accomplished, and I am equally excited about what the company will achieve under Scott’s leadership.”

Wagner joined GoDaddy in 2013 after a 13-year tenue at KKR, where he served as a partner. Wagner was a key member of the team that invested in GoDaddy in 2011, serving as the company’s interim CEO, and joining the leadership team as chief financial officer and chief operating officer when Irving became CEO. He was promoted to president in 2016, with expanded responsibility across go-to-market channels including customer care, marketing and international markets.

Rian Shah Takes New Leadership Role at Zenith
Publicis Media-owned global agency Zenith has appointed Rian Shah as managing director of its UK hub, with Shah reporting directly to Zenith’s global brand president Vittorio Bonori. Shah will focus on driving collaboration for global, regional and local clients, and will serve as a member of Zenith’s global leadership team, as well as sitting on the agency’s UK management team, under the leadership of UK CEO Mark Howley.

Shah joins Zenith from OMD UK, where he was chief strategy officer, with overall responsibility for the agency’s product and for evolving its vision and story. He joined OMD UK in 2013 as managing partner, and previously held roles at former Zenith agencies including ZenithOptimedia in the UK and Moxie in the US. Following the launch of Zenith’s new global proposition and brand identity, Shah’s new role will be central in leveraging the network’s new ROI-focused approach for clients.

“I am very excited at the prospect of working again at the agency where I had so many happy and successful years,” said Shah. “With Zenith’s new vision and approach and with Publicis Media’s market-leading practices, I believe we have a fantastic opportunity to really drive transformation for clients.”

MEC’s ‘NewCo’ Unveils CEOs for US and Australia
As MEC and Maxus prepare to merge, the WPP-owned agencies have begun to build a leadership team for the new, as-yet-unnamed firm, with Amanda Richman joining as CEO for the US, and Peter Vogel coming onboard as CEO for Australia and New Zealand. The two will take up their new roles ahead of the merger completing, which is expected to happen in January 2018.

Richman joins from Starcom USA, where she was president of investment, leading the agency’s cross-channel investment practice for clients including Samsung and Bank of America. She boasts 20-plus years of experience in digital, investment, innovation and client leadership, having previously served as president of digital at Mediavest and held roles at IPG and Time Warner.

Vogel’s appointment marks his return to Australia, having served as MEC’s Australian and New Zealand CEO for more than six years. Since 2015, he has been the firm’s CEO for APAC, leading the agency’s business in the region. MEC’s current Australian CEO James Hier has been made chief growth and product officer for the company, reporting to Vogel, while Maxus Australia’s CEO Mark McCraith will be exiting the business.

Yumi Prentice Becomes President and Managing Partner at D&G
Full-service creative agency David&Goliath (D&G) has found a new president and managing partner following Brian Dunbar’s departure to set up his own venture. Yumi Prentice, who joins from Manila Envelope Consulting, which she founded, will report directly to D&G’s founder and chairman David Angelo, and will be responsible for introducing new modes of collaboration to encourage growth and digital integration.

Prior to founding Manila Envelope, Prentice spent over four years as senior vice president and managing director at T3’s San Francisco office, and has also held senior roles at Grey San Francsico and JWT Asia. She has led agency collaborations and overseen global, regional and national initiatives for clients including Unilever, Microsoft and Nokia.

“I’m thrilled to be working with an agency that lives and breathes its brave philosophy and purpose-driven culture 24/7,” said Prentice. “This mindset redefines what ‘great work’ is – work that makes a material difference to the brands, businesses and people that touch it. In many ways, it feels like I’ve finally come home. I look forward to helping define and cultivate what it means to be one of the most inspiring agencies in the country.”

Don’t forget to enter the Effective Mobile Marketing Awards. Weve extended the final deadline to 25 August, but times running out. More details here.