GroupM’s EssenceMediacom has appointed Jill Kelly as its U.S. CEO.
Kelly, who served as GroupM’s global chief marketing officer for the past three years, will help lead the WPP agency, formed after Essence and Mediacom announced a merger in April. The digital, data and media agency will officially launch in January 2023.
Kelly’s role will be effective on October 1.
Kelly replaces Mediacom’s current U.S. CEO Sasha Savic, who held the position for the last 10 years and will now become EssenceMediacom’s global chief innovation officer. Jason Harrison, who has spent the last three years as CEO of Essence North America, remains Choreograph’s global chief solutions officer, a role he held dually with his Essence role for the past six months.
With Kelly's “conviction, creativity, and energy, along with her extensive understanding of our organization, people, and the challenges that our industry and clients face, I’m confident that she will empower the innovative vision we have for EssenceMediacom into the future,” Nick Lawson, EssenceMediacom’s Global CEO, said in a statement. “Sasha and Jason have done an incredible job building the agency brands and businesses in the U.S. to prepare them for this next chapter and I’m excited to continue working with them in their new and expanded roles.”