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GroupM’s EssenceMediacom has appointed Initiative's Sarah James chief investment officer.
James resigned from Initiative after five years at the IPG media agency where she was most recently managing director of Initiative Melbourne.
She will lead EssenceMediacom’s media solutions and investment across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, working with GroupM CIO Melissa Hey to oversee a client portfolio of close to $1bn in client media spend.
Hey described James as an exceptional talent in media.
"She brings a unique and dynamic skillset to the role in EssenceMediacom, that goes beyond what you might expect from a traditional chief investment officer. I’m excited for her to join our team," Hey said.
EssenceMediacom Australia CEO Pippa Berlocher said she is thrilled to welcome James to the family.
"Sarah’s background speaks for itself. She’s a dynamic, people-first leader, who gets the digital, tech and data space and I have no doubt she’ll lead our Media Solutions and Investment team with vision, passion and care," Berlocher said.
"Sarah's deep understanding of the evolving media landscape, coupled with her proven leadership skills, make her the ideal candidate to lead our investment team into the future.”
Sarah James said she is absolutely thrilled to be joining EssenceMediacom.
"The opportunities within media investment have never been greater, with innovation, precision media and emerging tech allowing us to deliver truly exceptional value for clients," James said.
"I'm incredibly excited to work alongside Pippa and the entire team, leveraging their expertise and our collective passion to drive impactful results. I can’t wait to get started."
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