Verizon has added some star power to the media team overseeing its $3.1 billion annual outlay, naming USAA Chief Brand Officer Tony Wells as senior VP and chief media officer and hiring Unilever Senior Director Jennifer Gardner as VP of media platforms.

Wells, who will take over his Verizon duties in September, will report to Verizon Chief Marketing Officer Diego Scotti and Gardner to Wells.

John Nitti, a former executive of Publicis Groupe’s Zenith who had been Verizon’s chief media officer for the past five years, has been promoted to senior VP of new business and partner development, leading Verizon’s enterprise-wide partnerships.

“Tony and Jeni are exceptional leaders, and their skills will help us continue to drive innovation, think differently about technology’s impact on storytelling, marketing and our partners’ industries,” Scotti said in a statement.

Both Verizon newcomers have been prominent figures in the industry in recent years.

Wells, a member of the Association of National Advertisers' board of directors, is a former Marine officer and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.

Gardner, appointed to a newly created role she’ll assume next month, will oversee media planning, buying and activation across Verizon, the sixth-biggest U.S. advertiser, with 2020 spending of $3.1 billion, according to the Ad Age Datacenter. At Unilever, she helped create the Responsibility Framework that focuses on media accountability, safety, diversity and inclusion. She’s also co-lead of the ANA’s Media Leadership Committee and co-founded the group’s Media Growth Leadership Council.