James joins recent hires Richard Hennis and Daniel Brewer to support the integration of martech and adtech, fuelled by data insights, to achieve the total customer experience
Merkle (www.merkleinc.com), a leading technology-enabled, data-driven performance marketing agency and part of Dentsu Aegis Network, has recruited James Griffiths, formerly of RAPP, as vice president, client partner for Merkle UK.
James’ arrival at Merkle is the latest in a number of senior client partner roles designed to help clients navigate complex technology decisions, data opportunities and ways of working that support their ongoing digital transformation. Soizic Sycamore also joins as client partner, senior director.
These appointments follow those of Richard Hennis, who joined in February from Engine, and Daniel Brewer, who joined in March from Starcom MediaVest, also as VP client partners.
These four will work across Merkle’s UK client base to help leverage their advertising technology (adtech), marketing technology (martech) and data capabilities to ensure all consumer interactions are not only joined up, but contextually relevant and as personal as possible to each individual.
The roles span Merkle’s Marketing Solutions division, home to its CRM offering and martech consultancy, and its Agency Services division, home to its performance media, ad tech consultancy and customer experience teams. It responds to the shift that organisations are making to integrate their customer strategy, technology stack and organisational approach to deliver a total customer experience across every encounter an individual has with a brand. This means shifting focus to giving them what they need and want, rather than using a channel first approach based around what companies want to sell to them.
James has more than 20 years’ experience working across CRM, data, digital and customer experience. Previously at RAPP as UK client services director, he led the client services team to deliver for clients including Virgin Media, PayPal and Ford of Europe.
Soizic joins from Wunderman Thompson where she was managing partner on the Samsung account. Soizic has held a number of senior agency roles including eight years at TMW as group account director and business director. She also did a spell at Sony Mobile as a CRM consultant.
Richard Hennis joined Merkle in February from Engine, where he was client managing director. A former head of digital and CRM at Vauxhall Motors UK, Richard has more recently held a number of senior agency roles including seven years at MRM as group account director, managing partner and client services director.
Daniel Brewer joined in March from Starcom MediaVest where he spent seven years, most recently as digital business director. He previously worked for Stream20 as head of consultancy and before that he worked at advertising.com as head of its UK Select Network.
Anne Stagg, SVP head of client services, said: “Merkle recognises the important role of client services in shaping and devising solutions that meet our clients’ business challenges. Recruiting the very best and most experienced in the industry means our client service leads can act as trusted advisors to senior C-suite clients who are embarking on large change management and business transformation programmes. That requires extensive experience of running complex programmes of activity across our suite of services. We are proud to be extending the team.”