Interpublic Group of Cos.' Momentum Worldwide has named its North America President Donnalyn Smith to the role of global CEO.

Smith takes over for longtime Momentum executive Chris Weil, who is leaving to take a new role as a co-lead for Horizon Media’s new Horizon Sports & Experience sports marketing and brand experience agency.

Weil will remain as chairman until year-end to support Smith through the transition period and will then serve in a consulting capacity to Interpublic Group of Cos. on certain client matters through the full-year 2023, according to a statement from Momentum. 

"Momentum has been at the forefront of our industry’s shift from traditional marketing to more engaging experiences that allow consumers to build emotional connections and lasting relationships with brands," IPG CEO Philippe Krakowsky said in a statement. "The company’s pioneering performance in the space is thanks in large part to Chris’s leadership of the organization and his commitment to bringing creativity to the experiential space.”

Smith, who took on the president role nearly eight years ago, has been with Momentum for 27 years. The experiential agency has been a part of some of the most notable experiential work over the past few years including Verizon’s foray into Fortnite during the Super Bowl and Nike’s “Just Do It HQ at the Church” campaign which won a Cannes Lions Grand Prix in 2019. Other agency clients include Coca-Cola, American Express, and Subway.

"Our agency has grown in an era marked by rapid and profound shifts in communications, technology, commerce, and consumer expectation of brands and companies,” Smith said in a statement. "I'm energized by the challenge to further evolve the Momentum agency model. We've accomplished so much to date and with the changes in technology and consumer embrace of the metaverse, we will continue to define what experiences will look like."