Lisa Giacosa has rejoined Publicis Media as head of analytics and insights for Spark Foundry USA.  The role is new and according to the agency signifies its “commitment to create enterprise-wide, sustainable solutions for its clients’ businesses.”  Giacosa will be tasked with leading Spark Foundry’s overall analytics and insights vision, developing solutions that drive business outcomes. She will also collaborate with Publicis Groupe leadership to identify growth opportunities for local and global clients. Based in New York, Giacosa will report into Sarah Kramer, chief client and operations officer.  Giacosa joins Spark Foundry from Kimberly-Clark where she was global head of …

Digital agency Ueno is naming Sasha Lubomirsky, creative director, product design, to work with clients Google, Uber and Visa, as well as manage and mentor other designers. Lubomirsky reports directly to CEO Haraldur (Halli) Thorleifsson and works at the studio’s San Francisco office. Previously, she worked as the head of design research at Medium.Redscout is expanding the brand and innovation agency's leadership team to support continued growth. Colin Chow has been named CEO, succeeding agency founder Jonah Disend, who becomes founder and chairman. In addition, Ivan Kayser is being promoted to Chief Strategy Officer, and Natalie Smith becomes GM of …

Todd Lancaster has been elevated to the post of chief creative officer and partner at Dallas-based branding agency greenlight. The post is a new one at the agency. Previously Lancaster was executive creative director. He joined the agency in 2016 as a creative director. Lancaster is a veteran of the Dallas/Fort Worth advertising industry, having held previous creative positions at The Marketing Arm, Schaefer Advertising Co. and Epsilon@Purple. As a partner, Lancaster will continue working alongside Co-Founders CEO Erik Herskind and COO Olivia Cole, while adding, as the agency put it, a “vested interest in the financial performance of the …

Grey New York has appointed Dana Fahey Valdes as executive director, creative talent to lead Grey's growing creative management team which includes creative recruitment, resource management and creative culture initiatives. In this newly created role, she will report to worldwide chief creative officer John Patroulis and be based at Grey's New York flagship office. The 15-year industry veteran has previously held similar roles at several other agencies including TBWA/Chiat\Day and Crispin Porter + Bogusky.  

Marketing agency Epsilon has hired DDB veteran Barry Burdiak for the position of senior vice president and executive creative director. Burdiak will report to John Immesoete and will oversee a team of about five people out of the Chicago office. Burdiak spent nearly 30 years at DDB overseeing work for such clients as McDonald’s, Budweiser and State Farm. According to the agency Burdiak is a six-time Cannes Lions winner and three-time Emmy Award nominee (largely for Budweiser work) who’s delivered 17 Top 10 annual Super Bowl Spots (including three that have taken the top spot on USA Today’s Ad Meter) …

M&C Saatchi has appointed Sereena Abbassi as head of culture and inclusion. She’ll work closely with Victoria Fox, chief executive of M&C Saatchi subsidiary LIDA and group sponsor of diversity and inclusion at M&C Saatchi Group. Abbassi will split her responsibilities between a global role advising and inspiring the network across 27 markets with leading the culture and inclusion committee in the UK. Her appointment is the first-of-its kind for the network although individual offices have in some cases appointed their own heads of diversity or inclusion. 

Tim Maleeny is rejoining Havas Creative, this time as chief strategy officer, North America. He previously worked at the holding company from 2013 to 2016 as the chief strategy officer and managing director for New York operations. Maleeny also has a broader mandate. He will reside full-time in the New York office to also serve as president of Havas New York under the leadership of Laura Maness, chief executive officer of Havas New York. In addition, he will work as executive sponsor on the TD Ameritrade account. As a so-called “boomerang,” Maleeny says, “It felt like the right role at …

We Are Unlimited (UNLTD), part of Omnicom’s DDB Worldwide has appointed James Lou to the position of chief strategy officer.  Lou is Eric Zuncic’s first hire since Zuncic started as chief strategy officer of DDB North America in October 2017. Effective early February, Lou will report  to CEO Mark Mulhern and lead UNLTD in partnership with chief creative officer Toygar Bazarkaya and the executive team. Lou joins UNLTD from BBDO New York, where he led the strategy on AT&T’s Corporate and Business Solutions divisions. Prior to BBDO, he served as executive vice president, chief strategy officer, of Havas Chicago, and co-chief strategy officer of Havas North America. …

OMD Worldwide has appointed several executives to global leadership positions. Guy Marks has been appointed  CEO of the agency’s Europe Middle East and Africa region. Previously Marks founded mobile advertising and digital production agency Mobile5. Brian Crotty has been appointed CEO of OMD’s Latin America region. Previously he was with sibling creative agency AlmapBBDO. Damian Winstanley has been promoted to CMO of the global network after serving as chief client officer of the EMEA region. The appointments follow the agency’s senior management shakeup last fall, when Florian Adamski was named Global CEO and when Colin Gottlieb became Chairman.  

WPP agency AKQA has appointed Jo Hickson as Head of Technology to lead the core practice out of AKQA’s London studio.  According to the agency Hickson’s appointment will better help it “meet client requests for brand experiences powered by the latest technology, including conversational interfaces, data and connected products.”  Hickson will report to Sam Kelly, Managing Director of AKQA’s London studio, and will also join the leadership team.  Hickson joins AKQA from TUI where she was Head of Innovation. Earlier the 20-plus year industry veteran held senior positions at Home Retail Group, Argos, Habitat and Homebase.