NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Maxus announced today it has appointed Jonathan Adams to the role of Chief Digital Officer in North America.
The announcement was made by Maxus North America CEO Steve Williams. The move marks Williams’ first hire since joining the company in June, and reinforces Maxus’ commitment to digital and data-driven innovation and execution.
“Maxus is a young and agile network, born in the digital age. We think and execute horizontally, not just vertically,” stated Williams. “Our agency is designed around the idea; and ideas flow across territories, disciplines and channels. Jonathan is one of those exceptional people in the business who thinks and operates in this way. He’s smart, he cares, and his client partnering skills will help take us to another level when it comes to innovating with digital and data.”
In his role, Adams will be responsible for harnessing digital performance and maximizing its potential, while mentoring and designing frameworks with Maxus planning teams to optimize communications across all platforms. Adams will be based in New York and report to Williams.
“I see seismic changes still to come for digital media. The video landscape is exploding with innovation, data and storytelling opportunities; and the potential for digital performance will be realized when brands truly place consumers at the center of a marketing mix,” said Adams. “Maxus has demonstrated how it continues to transform the expectations of what a media agency is all about, especially with its consumer and data-centric approaches to planning. I’m thrilled to be joining an agency and a network that can have a profound impact on the rest of our industry in the coming years.”
Adams returns to GroupM and the WPP group of companies, having previously worked at OgilvyOne, Lowe & Partners, and The Media Edge (now MEC), where he established an acumen for media innovation that has served as the foundation for his career in media. He joins Maxus from iCrossing, where he was Senior Vice President and Lead of North American Media. At iCrossing, Adams directed the rapid growth of their media and analytics practices, and led teams managing media for clients including DIRECTV, William’s Sonoma, PNC Bank, LEGO, Kellogg’s, Belk and Coca-Cola. Previously, he spent nine years with Digitas, which included tenure as SVP, Global Media; leading the company’s Stamford, Conn., and Atlanta, Ga., media practices; managing a wide variety of client relationships, and being an active member of Digitas’ NY Senior Leadership Team. Adams served as Chairman of the AAAA Digital Marketing Committee (2003 - 2006), has received honors from both Advertising Age and Media Magazine, and has held advisory board posts with iMedia, Digiday, the ARF, IAB, Microsoft and Google.
The hiring of Adams signals Maxus’ intent to assert and invest in its Lean into Change philosophy, driven by Williams. It also builds on the momentum represented by the agency’s win of NBCUniversal’s digital business, one of the largest account moves in the U.S. this year.
“Jonathan has an impressive pedigree in the business, and with his deep experience, he will help us continue to differentiate our product,” said Williams. “He will help grow our people and change the game for our clients. Jonathan’s strategic acumen and deep analytical skill, alongside the fact he is a great client partner, will serve Maxus well as we enter the next phase of our development in North America.”
ABOUT MAXUS
Maxus Global is part of GroupM, the world’s largest media investment management group that serves as the parent company of all WPP media agencies, and which buys over one third of the world’s media every day. The newest of GroupM’s agencies, Maxus Global is the only agency born in the digital age and the fastest growing global media network for the last five years (Source: RECMA).
Maxus Global employs over 2,200 people across 55 countries in 70 agencies worldwide and works for some of the world’s most well-known advertisers. It was named Campaign’s Global Media Network of the Year 2011, Ad Week’s US Agency of the Year 2011, and one of Ad Age’s ‘Agencies to Watch’ for 2012. In 2013 Maxus UK was awarded a Silver Lion at the Cannes Media Lions for the Mercedes #YouDrive campaign. For more information, visit www.maxusglobal.com.
