Following new business wins in 2021, dentsu Media has appointed several senior personnel across digital, programmatic and account management.
The new staff join to support clients such as Fresh Choice and Super Value supermarkets, TVNZ, Kraft-Heinz (Wattie’s), Galderma Skincare, and FujiXerox, as well as others in data, technology, and consultancy services.
Steph Sokolich returns after a four-year stint away into the newly created role of Group Digital Director and is responsible for overseeing all digital planning and buying capability. Sokolich has been responsible for leading the digital media planning of some of NZ’s most well-known brands in her career such as ANZ, Foodstuffs, Unilever, IAG and Nissan.
Marie Taupiac joins as SEO Director, working in an integrated role across both media and creative clients, delivering website conversion and organic search optimisation solutions for clients. Taupiac has previously delivered search funnel, content framework, migration strategy and technical audits across clients such as Westpac, Electoral Commission, Chorus, Mercury Energy and AMP.
Jon Devereux, one of the most experienced programmatic practitioners in NZ, joins as Head of Programmatic. LikeSokolich, he is a returning employee, after a stint away developing and heading up KPEX’s programmatic offering and establishing TradeMe’s supply-side programmatic offering.
Cara Coutts, Sophie Radford, and Sarah Wilson also join as Group Business Directors.Coutts and Radford are also returning employees. Coutts has been appointed to lead the Air NZ account, coming from BMW Group where she led marketing communications for both BMW and MINI. Radford joins from Mediacom where she was responsible for University of Auckland, Peugeot/Citreon, and Immigration NZ, and is now responsible for Kraft-Heinz, and Subaru at dentsu. Wilson joins from FCB where she was responsible for Westpac, Electoral Commission, Tourism Australia, and Te Hiringa Hauora (Health Promotion Agency), to lead the Countdown account.
Dentsu Media Managing Director, Richard Hale says that he and his team are incredibly proud of the way the agency has responded to the challenges the industry has faced linked to COVID.
“It is great to be able to support our growth with an incredibly talented bunch of people that we are lucky to have on board. Personally I’m also really proud of the fact that in many instances we are welcoming familiar faces back into the building (aka home office) which is testament to the culture we have built at dentsu over time,” he says.
