Groupm Announces U.S. Leadership Changes

GroupM, WPP’s media investment group, announced U.S. leadership changes. Under North America CEO, Tim Castree, GroupM aims to simplify the complexity brought on by media fragmentation and bring their clients the most progressive digital, data and performance capabilities as they pursue brand and business growth. The new leadership lineup supports these ambitions:

• Matt Sweeney, most recently Xaxis’ NA CEO is named Chief Investment Officer, GroupM U.S.;
• Lyle Schwartz, most recently President of Investment, is Chief Integration Officer, GroupM U.S.;
• Beth LeTendre, most recently CEO of Catalyst, is named CEO of GroupM Performance U.S., where she’ll lead Xaxis and other performance marketing functions; and
• Jill Kelly, most recently Global CMO of Digitas, joins GroupM as U.S. CMO.

Matt brings diverse experience in leadership and innovation roles across publishing, technology and agency organizations to his new role overseeing all of GroupM’s investment and media implementation functions, and approximately $15 billion of client billings. He is charged with the operational simplification of GroupM’s investment organization, and he’ll accelerate the integration of linear and platform-enabled automated buying in an increasingly addressable marketplace. Over the last five years at Xaxis, Matt operated at an innovation center in GroupM developing advanced, proprietary technologies enabling smarter digital audience activation.

Lyle is widely regarded as one of the industry’s foremost experts in marketplace supply and demand, media implementation and audience measurement. In his new role, he will focus on developing advanced cross-channel implementation practices that more seamlessly connect audience planning with buying optimization. He’ll partner with Amit Seth, GroupM’s new Chief Product and Data Officer, to ensure connections between planning and activation are seamless, and he will scale automation technologies so GroupM agencies spend more time on high-value client engagement. Lyle will continue to lead the 2019 Upfront negotiations for GroupM as Matt transitions into his new role.

Beth is the co-founder of GroupM’s search specialist, Catalyst. During her 21 years there, she delivered yearly double-digit growth through constant innovation in search, social, and eCommerce best practices. She’ll now oversee high performing, innovation-driven teams comprising more than 800 performance marketing experts across GroupM. Her main focus will be on growing GroupM’s specialist performance businesses and scaling best practices in the group’s performance-marketing centers of excellence.

Jill will support GroupM’s growth through her leadership of the brand marketing, product marketing and business development practices. Her mandate is to communicate the benefits of the ongoing transformation and simplification of the business to external customers and internal stakeholders.

Matt, Lyle, Beth and Jill will all serve on GroupM’s NA Executive Committee. Within Matt’s team, Gibbs Haljun and Susan Schiekofer will continue leading cross-platform partnerships and negotiations across GroupM clients and Ed Gaffney continues leading research. Marissa Jimenez will continue spearheading GroupM’s important addressable and connected TV specialty.

“The U.S. market is not only the largest in the world, it’s the most advanced. The giants of digital media and e-Commerce were born here, and their impact ripples out worldwide from here. Advertisers, media partners and agencies are all disrupted by digital transformation,” said Castree. “Our objective is single-minded and clear: to help our clients grow. We can do this by innovating, reducing complexity, applying technology to improve process and outcomes, and being faster to market. Our leadership team is energized and ready to take this on.”

About GroupM

GroupM is the world’s leading media investment company responsible for nearly $48B in annual media investment through agencies including Mindshare, MediaCom, Wavemaker, Essence and m/SIX, as well as advanced programmatic services arm, Xaxis. GroupM creates competitive advantage for advertisers via its worldwide organization of media experts who deliver powerful insights on consumers and media platforms, trading expertise, market-leading brand-safe media, technology solutions, addressable TV, content, sports and more.

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