Dentsu Aegis Network Announces Two Key Senior Executive Appointments

New ‘CEO Americas’ and New ‘Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer’

• Dentsu Aegis further strengthens its senior leadership team with two high profile appointments, following the rapid growth of the business over last few years, and marks an important step in its ambition to become a 100 percent digital economy business by 2020. 
• Nick Brien, one of the industry’s most respected advertising executives, has been appointed as the new CEO Dentsu Aegis Network Americas, and CEO US.
• Nigel Morris, has been appointed into the new role of Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, to pioneer new strategic and innovative solutions & practices, as Dentsu Aegis continues to lead the technologydriven transformation taking place across business, marketing & advertising for our clients. 

LONDON – Dentsu Aegis Network, headquartered in London, today announced the appointment of Nick Brien as CEO Americas and CEO US, and the move of Nigel Morris to the newly created role of Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer. Both roles will sit on the Dentsu Aegis Executive Committee and report directly to Jerry Buhlmann, CEO Dentsu Aegis Network.

Nick Brien appointed Dentsu Aegis CEO Americas & US

Nick Brien brings with him over 30 years’ industry experience in a number of leading global roles, including CEO McCann Worldgroup and recently as Global CEO of iCrossing and President of Hearst Magazines Marketing Services. Nick’s appointment further reinforces Dentsu Aegis’ ambitions to become a 100 percent digital economy business by 2020 by bringing in the best industry leadership in the global advertising and digital marketing sector. Nick will be based from New York and joins the Dentsu Aegis team, 1st August 2017.

Jerry Buhlmann, Chief Executive Officer of Dentsu Aegis Network, said:

“The growth of the digital economy is one of the few certainties in an uncertain world, and realising our ambition to be a 100 percent digital economy business by 2020 requires the strongest top management team from the industry, globally. The appointment of Nick Brien as CEO Americas and CEO US is a significant milestone for the Group. Nick’s role will be instrumental in ensuring that we are focused on achieving our key strategic objectives across the region, by driving revenue in high-growth segments, by transforming our service offering to clients through innovation and by providing strategic leadership across our talent agenda within the region, to deliver long term brand value for our clients. Nick is a proven, high energy leader who will further accelerate the growth of our business in the Americas.” 

Nick Brien, CEO Americas, Dentsu Aegis Network comments:

“It is a real honour to be taking the Americas CEO role, leading 13,000 people in 45 agency brands across 19 countries. I see great opportunity to build on the strengths of the Dentsu Aegis Americas team to innovate the way brands are built across the region.” 

“The future of Dentsu Aegis’ business is founded on the new marketing world where marketing is planned around people, and not just product. Bolstered by strategic acquisitions, including Merkle, and in the context of a transforming digital economy, Dentsu Aegis is at the forefront of this shift in our industry to people-based marketing. I’m excited to lead the Americas to achieve this ambitious agenda where sophisticated data analytics and real-time insight, enable us to imagine the best creative, experiences, engagement and addressability to deliver the best results for our clients.“

“Dentsu Aegis continues to evolve as a diversified business with an exciting ambition, progressive vision and high performance culture, all of which are critical to creating value for clients. Diversity is key to driving innovation and creativity, and Dentsu Aegis Americas continues to reflect this. I’m looking forward to building on the existing success within the region, by drawing upon the groups’ talent and connecting resources and capabilities between North America and Latin America to drive regional growth.”

Nigel Morris, appointed Dentsu Aegis Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer

Nigel Morris has been appointed as the Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer. This is a newly created role to pioneer new strategic and innovative solutions & practices, as Dentsu Aegis continues to lead the techdriven transformation taking place across business, marketing and advertising. This is part of a long-term plan, and follows Nigel’s migration from CEO EMEA earlier this year, to Giulio Malegori, and now from CEO Americas, to Nick Brien. Nigel will lead Dentsu Aegis’ innovation agenda and build strategy, services and products to equip our clients for the digital economy. Nigel will be based out of London, at the Dentsu Aegis headquarters.

Buhlmann continues:

“It is our responsibility to help clients maximize the opportunity the digital economy presents – helping brands to innovate in a disrupted world. The challenge for the next five years will be for brands to master the new reality of a consumer-led economy that is both transparent and interdependent. In this environment convergence, addressability and real-time are key dynamics and the winners will be those who determine how to derive value from a demand-led economy.”

“The new role of Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer will drive a critical level of focus and expertise on the implications and opportunities this new economy presents for both clients and our own business. Nigel Morris has been a true pioneer of the digital economy, combined with his innovative approach and proven leadership, we will accelerate the impact of innovation for our clients. Importantly, this will ensure we deliver on our vision for the business, to innovate the way brands are built.”

Nigel Morris, Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, Dentsu Aegis Network comments:
“The pace of change and transformation required, has become central to the role of marketing in our clients’ business models and growth strategies. There is a need for a new level of expertise from Agency groups, taking a consultative approach to drive new streams of revenue and value to our clients’ businesses and brands. This new role will enable us to work even closer with clients in the transition to a demand-led digital economy.”

“The innovation agenda is central to our vision at Dentsu Aegis. My mission will be to harness our innovation leadership and leverage the wealth of capability, expertise and talent across our whole organisation to lead the shift required to make marketing the most valuable business discipline for our clients. We will embrace disruptive technologies to make the promise of personalized, addressable marketing a driver of growth and sustainable value. Part of this strategic approach is focusing our agenda beyond the distinction between business & customers, and looking at the impact marketing is having and can have in society more holistically. As much as is possible we want to ensure the positive impacts of the digital economy are far-reaching. For our clients and for everyone.”

Dentsu Aegis’ competitive advantage is evidenced through the momentum and growth over the past few years. In 2016, Dentsu Aegis outperformed the peer group for the sixth consecutive year with 5.7% organic revenue growth. Digital revenues overtook traditional revenue for the first time at 52.3%, further progressing the Group’s ambition to become a 100% digital economy business by 2020. This momentum continued into Q1 2017, where the business continued outperforming the peer group average. Acquisitions have also contributed to the group’s growth with nearly 110 deals signed since 2013. This includes the strategic acquisition of Merkle in August 2016 which has been game-changing to the Group’s capabilities in high quality data, analytics and CRM.