TikTok ad leader exits app as it faces potential US ban

TikTok’s head of ad sales in North America, Sameer Singh, is leaving the platform, according to an internal memo shared with Ad Age, opening a key business position within the app as it awaits its fate in the U.S. Singh “will return to India at the end of January and remain available to support the [North America] team through the end of February,” Blake Chandlee, president of global business solutions, wrote in the memo. “We will immediately begin the search for a new leader to oversee our [North America] business. In the interim, effective February 1, all of Sam’s direct reports will report to me directly, and we will provide next steps as they are finalized.” The company did not provide further comment. Also read: A marketing and agency guide to CES 2025 Prior to joining TikTok’s parent company ByteDance in 2019, Singh had been GroupM’s South Asia CEO. He became head of TikTok’s global business solutions in North America, overseeing ad sales, in 2023. Singh helped TikTok transition out of India when that country banned the app in 2020, Chandlee said in his memo. Singh then helped TikTok expand into markets such as Brazil, Southeast Asia and the Asia Pacific region. Now, TikTok is at another crossroads with the U.S. threatening to ban the app if its Chinese-based parent company ByteDance does not divest from it. The U.S. passed a law that would force TikTok to shut down in the U.S. on Jan. 19 if it does not make progress toward a sale. But incoming President Donald Trump has met with TikTok’s CEO Shou Chew in recent weeks, and has signaled support for the app. Last week, Trump urged the Supreme Court to pause the law that would ban the platform. Ad Age Tech Power List 2025 We’re looking for top digital innovators from agencies, brands, platforms, ad tech companies and tech startups Enter here The app’s fate is being closely watched by advertisers, brands and creators that have been investing in building a presence on the popular video-sharing site. Last year, the U.S. cited national security reasons when passing a bill requiring ByteDance to sell the app or face a ban in the country. On Jan. 10, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to hear the final TikTok appeal on whether the law is constitutional. TikTok has claimed the bill violates the First Amendment. “Notably, throughout 2024, Sam has led our teams in the U.S. and Canada through an unprecedented political environment,” Chandlee said, “dedicated to protecting our incredible users, creators and the business partners that use TikTok every day.” TikTok is also scheduled to appear at CES in Las Vegas next week, where it will be meeting with industry players and join other tech rivals at the annual confab.

TikTok ad leader exits app as it faces potential US ban

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