Movers and Shakers: Dentsu, Snap, Integral Ad Science, DMA and Brass

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 whos joined which company, and what theyre doing there.

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(Clockwise from top left) Toshihiro Yamamoto, Jennifer Park Stout, John Morgan, Paul Mallett, Sam Watson, Nick Morley, Kirstie Buchanan

Dentsu Names Toshihiro Yamamoto New President and CEO
Japanese advertising giant Dentsu has announced the name of its new president and chief executive, replacing current CEO Tadashi Ishii who announced his resignation in December.

Toshihiro Yamamoto has worked at Dentsu since 1981, most recently as senior vice-president, and will take on his new role as chief executive on 23 January. The board meeting that appointed Yamamoto also saw Shoichi Nakamoto named representative director, senior executive vice-president and chief financial officer, and Yoshio Takada taking on the role of representative director and executive vice-president.

Dentsu has been plagued by a number of scandals over the past year, and Yamamoto said his mission was to “re-establish trust in Dentsu in Japan, and build a sustainable growth path for the long-term.

“I believe it will become a reality with the improvements we are making to create a more flexible working environment where our diverse talents will thrive to help create value for our clients and professional fulfillment for our people.”

Snap Hires Former State Department Staffer to Lead Global Public Policy
Jennifer Park Stout, current deputy chief of staff to the Secretary of State, is set to become the new head of global public policy at Snap, as the firm seeks to strengthen its ties with Washington ahead of its hotly-anticipated IPO.

Stout has had a long career in government, starting out as a legislative aide for then-Senator Joseph Biden in 1998. She has also served as vice president of international government affairs at insurance firm MetLife.

Stouts hiring isnt the first time the company has raided the State Department for executives. Just last week, former under secretary of state for public diplomacy Rick Stengel was hired by the firm to serve as a senior adviser.

The company has also gained a new chairman of the board in the form of Michael Lynton, who is stepping down from his role as chief executive of Sony Entertainment to help Snap prepare for its IPO.

New EMEA Managing Director Appointed at Integral Ad Science
Nick Morley is joining technology and data company Integral Ad Science in the newly created position of managing director for EMEA, charged with driving the companys continued growth and further expansion in key European markets.

Morley was most recently senior vice president of global sales and managing director for EMEA at Intent Media, and has held roles at Adobe and Efficient Frontier over the course of a decade-long career in digital advertising.

“Europe is a core market for IAS and we are delighted to welcome Nick to the team to spearhead our further acceleration into new markets,” said Bryan St. John, senior vice president of international at Integral Ad Science. “Heading into 2017, we are well positioned to take advantage of our companys growth potential. Nicks understanding of differing market nuances, along with his proven expertise in scaling operations, will be a key component in our success.”

Kirstie Buchanan Joins DMA North Council as Chair
The DMA has confirmed that Kirstie Buchanan, sales & marketing director at the Idox Group-owned digital agencies Rippleffect and Reading Room, will become the new chair of its North Council.

Buchanan brings over 16 years experience in the digital industry to the group, during which time she has been a driving force for innovation and growth at some of the UKs biggest agencies.

“I am excited to appointed chair of the DMA North Council, and look forward to working with the team to increase awareness and engagement across the region,” said Buchanan. “In particular, Id like to focus our attentions on the next generation of digital and marketing talent, both from the junior ranks of our industry and the students that may not have thought about a career in marketing.”

Brass Strengthens Digital Offering with New Head of Mobile
Leeds-based marketing agency Brass is increasing its mobile marketing offering, and creating a new head of mobile role to steer its increased investment in the format. Sam Watson, former head of mobile at Twentysix, will take the position, having begun his agency career as an account manager for Brass in 2009.

“Its great to come back at a time when Brass is flourishing with new client and award wins, the atmosphere in the work place is exciting and every department has mobile on their agenda so I am going to be very busy here,” said Watson.

“In today’s omni-channel world, mobile has become the ‘go to’ technology for brands wanting to seamlessly connect and engage with their audiences,” said Paul Mallett, managing partner at Brass. “Mobile functionality now allows for truly personal and unique experiences. We decided that the time was right to further invest in mobile as a central part of our agency offering, both as a stand-alone service, and as an integrated touch-point within the customer journey.”