PMG, a global independent marketing services and technology company, has appointed Leah Meranus to SVP Customer Success, a newly created customer leadership role focused on advancing PMG’s customer partnerships and accelerating transformational business growth across its roster of leading brands. Effective in September, Meranus will be based out of PMG’s New York office and report directly to Jon Dupuis, President of PMG. Meranus, having most recently served as CEO of Dentsu X North America, brings more than two decades of experience in agency leadership and brand transformation across a number of firms, including 360i, Initiative, Mediacom, and PHD. Her career has been defined by building and scaling innovative customer partnerships, fostering high-performance teams, and guiding marketing and media for some of the world’s most well-known brands, including JPMorganChase, Heineken, JCPenney, Revlon, and Unilever.
Influencer has announced the return of Tom Cooper-Smith as Vice President of Creative Operations, EMEA, bringing platform, product and agency-side expertise to a role focused on supercharging the agency’s strategic and creative output. As part of his new role, he will oversee client strategy, media, production, measurement and insights. Cooper-Smith rejoins the business after several years at TikTok, where he most recently served as Generative AI Creative Product Lead. While there, he led the European launch of Symphony Creative Studio – TikTok’s end-to-end suite of generative AI tools for brands and agencies – placing the platform at the forefront of AI-powered advertising in the region. He previously ran the client success function for TikTok One Creator Marketplace, building programmes to help scale the ecosystem of creators, brands and agencies across Europe and the Middle East.
Multi-platform production company, social media agency and digital media network, Little Dot Studios (an All3Media company), has appointed Steph Fernandes as its new Head of Social Creative, Entertainment. Reporting into James Loveridge, Co-Managing Director – Agency, Steph will shape best-in-class social work for Little Dot Studios’ entertainment clients (including Netflix UK, NBCUniversal, Prime Video UK and Warner Bros. Discovery), steering social storytelling from tentpole campaigns to always-on content that is insight-driven, platform-specific, and culturally resonant. Fernandes brings a decade of experience in building brand worlds and shaping culturally impactful campaigns. She joins Little Dot Studios following a successful stint at NOW TV, where she was the Social, Influencer & Creative Lead. During her time at NOW TV, she scaled the brand’s TikTok channel, delivered viral content, and led standout social campaigns for world-renowned titles such as House of the Dragon, The White Lotus, and The Penguin. Prior to this, she was a creative and social consultant, partnering with major brands including AirAsia and Crocs EMEA.
Leading independent PR, Digital and Creative agency The PHA Group has appointed David Taylor as the agency’s new Head of Digital. Taylor joins the business with immediate effect and will be responsible for driving the continued growth, innovation, and strategic development of PHA’s digital offering. Bringing over 20 years of experience in digital strategy, performance marketing and integrated communications, David joins The PHA Group from Accord Marketing Ltd., where he progressed through several senior roles including Digital Director and, most recently, Chief Digital Officer. In his new role, Taylor will lead The PHA Group’s digital division, overseeing the agency’s SEO, paid media, paid social, content marketing and digital PR teams. His appointment reflects The PHA Group’s ongoing commitment to delivering fully integrated campaigns, underpinned by strategic insight, data-driven performance, and measurable results.
RealityMine, the privacy-first digital measurement technology company, has appointed Adam Portner as Senior Vice President, Client Development. In this newly created role, Portner will lead RealityMine’s business development activity on the ground in the United States, expanding client relationships and unlocking new opportunities. He joins the firm at a time of dramatic growth, with continued investment in expanding the company’s US-based team. Portner brings over 25 years of data and insights industry experience across behavioural data, insight technology platforms and working with opt-in, high quality consumer panels. Based in the Bay Area, he will leverage his extensive professional network to identify and engage with prospective clients whose needs are a strong fit for RealityMine’s capabilities. Portner also serves as an elected board member of the Insights Association West Chapter as Director of Regional Member Engagement.
IDHL has announced the appointment of Jonathan Healey to the newly created role of Group Technology Director, a strategic appointment that will accelerate the next phase of IDHL’s advanced AI and technology innovation across its suite of integrated digital services. Reporting to Chief Executive Officer Lewis Sellers, Healey will lead IDHL’s technology strategy across the organisation, with particular focus on delivery platforms and systems, AI advancement and optimisation, and the development of proprietary systems that are critical to IDHL’s future growth strategy. This strengthened leadership will enable clients to achieve faster outcomes, greater operational efficiency, and competitive advantage through innovative, high-impact AI and technology-based solutions. Healey brings over 25 years of technology leadership experience and has been instrumental in IDHL’s evolution. In his new role, he will oversee the company’s technology strategy across core operational systems, including IDHL’s proprietary technology platform, while driving rapid AI deployment and advances in technology-driven innovation to benefit IDHL’s people, clients and partners.
Virgin Group has appointed Sam Kelly as its first-ever Chief Experience Officer, effective from 1 September 2025. After a 25-year journey in the creative industry, including 18 years at innovation and design agency AKQA as Global Chief Marketing Officer, Kelly joins Virgin’s leadership team ready to champion unique customer experiences inspired by Virgin’s iconic brand spirit. As Chief Experience Officer, Kelly will lead the worlds of brand and marketing across the Virgin Group whilst keeping a keen eye on enhancing customer experience. He will work across Virgin’s diverse portfolio and new ventures to ensure customers consistently encounter delightful, unforgettable moments infused with Virgin’s iconic personality. Kelly has been part of the extended Virgin family for many years having worked with Virgin whilst in agency roles and latterly as a consultant.
Impression, a UK-based performance marketing agency, has appointed David Johnson as its first Managing Partner, as the business expands with new clients and into new markets. As Managing Partner, Johnson will be responsible for driving client success and approximately half of Impression’s revenue. His role will involve developing Impression into an even more client-centric agency including enhancing Impression’s services to meet evolving client needs. Johnson’s experience includes growth and client service roles at a number of UK and international advertising agencies and publishers. He joins Impression from Dentsu, where he most recently worked as Client Director. Through his career, Johnson has worked in client services roles across a wide range of sectors, including ecommerce, retail, automotive, travel, and healthcare.
Abhijit Sengupta, CEO of OAP, India’s leading Out of Home Specialist has joined OOH Capital as a Partner. Sengupta has worked in India’s OOH industry for over 30-years and during that time has demonstrated his entrepreneurial spirit as well as commitment to making the OOH Industry more transparent and more measurable. Most recently, teaming up with Magesh Pondi’s Relu AI, he led the development of Roadstar — a cutting-edge OOH media planning system that integrates AI, mobility data, and consumer intelligence into a single, automated platform. With thirteen partners spread around the globe, OOH Capital advises OOH businesses, cities, real estate owners and technology suppliers on the best ways to navigate the rapidly changing OOH landscape. Strategic and social creative agency OK COOL has today announced the appointment of Alex Williamson to the role of Executive Creative Director, in the latest in a series of key leadership hires. The move follows a period of significant growth for OK COOL, which has secured retained business from the likes of New Look and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, and strengthened its leadership team across departments since appointing RAPP’s Katrina Bain as Managing Director in October 2023. Williamson joins the agency from Billion Dollar Boy, where he spent four years, rising from Creative Director, Europe to his most recent position of Executive Creative Director, Global. In his new role at OK COOL, Williamson will focus on strengthening the agency’s creative team and output, developing social-first, culturally driven ideas that push creative boundaries and set new standards for the industry. He will lead the 18-strong creative team and also play a key role in driving new business, helping win pitches against some of the industry’s biggest players.
