EssenceMediacom has appointed Sarah James as chief investment officer. James brings over 15 years of experience in media investment to the GroupM agency.
Her most recent role was as managing director of Initiative Melbourne. She previously led the Woolworths agency, a 60-person team as part of Dentsu.
In her CIO role, James 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.
“Sarah is an exceptional talent in media,” Hey said. “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.”
She will be responsible for defining and executing EssenceMediacom’s Breakthrough investment and implementational planning strategies for our clients, fostering strong media partner relationships, and continuing to drive innovation across all media channels.
Pippa Berlocher, CEO of EssenceMediacom Australia, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Sarah 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.
“Transformation excites her and her strong digital background makes her phenomenally well placed to lead, helping our clients breakthrough in the digital age. 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.”
James said of her new role with the agency: “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.
“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,” she added.
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Top image: Sarah James