VML MD Treuhaft Assumes CDO Post at Grey NY

By Kiran Aditham 

It’s been a busy week on the Grey front. Just days after it was announced that the agency promoted chief operating officer Michael Houston to CEO, North America, we’ve received confirmation that the Grey camp has welcomed Zachary Treuhaft as its new chief digital officer. Treuhaft joins Grey from Kansas City-based WPP sibling VML, where he spent the last two-and-a-half years as managing director. We’ve been told that the CDO position is a new one at Grey (Doug Livingston, who left the agency a few months ago if you recall, actually served as EVP/director of digital integration. As seems to be the norm with Grey items, we’ve received a memo regarding Treuhaft’s arrival from the agency’s new CEO. Read on below and after the jump.

“I’m pleased to announce the appointment of Zak Treuhaft as Chief Digital Officer for Grey New York.  Zak joins us from WPP’s global digital agency, VML, where he served as Co-Managing Director of their New York operation responsible for revenue growth, performance, staffing and cultural development of the agency.

Prior to running VML, Zak served as a WPP Fellow in its selective, high-caliber management training program, where he worked as the Director of Product Strategy and Business Development at 24/7 Real Media and led a unique technology partnership between Omniture, Google and 24/7 Real Media. He has also held various other integrated positions such as Group Account Director and Senior Strategist within other digital shops.

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Zak has a wide range of industry experience having worked on top clients such as LG Electronics, J&J, Merck, Deutsche Bank, Chevron, Office Depot, Hershey’s, Dell, Saks Fifth Avenue, Campbell’s Soup and Vanguard. Prior to venturing into agency management, Zak was Creative Director at events/experiential company, The RJO Group, and began his career as a Producer with Todd Street Productions, executing international event marketing programs in Europe, Asia and South America.

The Executive Management Team spent months interviewing candidates and unanimously agreed that Zak is the strongest person to lead our digital initiatives. Importantly, we believe that Zak will be culturally compatible with our digital team and will mesh perfectly with all of our client teams to champion stellar, integrated solutions with Famously Effective digital components.

As one of Zak’s former clients put it, ‘Zak is firing on all cylinders. He gets business strategy, brand strategy, digital strategy and how to structure a technical team to deliver on an executional level.’

Zak graduated with a degree in Biology from Brown and received his MBA from Wharton. He and his wife have two children and reside  in Lower Manhattan.

Zak will begin to meet our Digital Directors (Fred Gerantabee, Kristin Finch, Marco DiDomozio, Alex Morrison, Briggs Davidson, Todd Sussman and Amiee Fay) informally later this week and then will join us officially on July 8.

Please join me in welcoming Zak to the Grey family.

Cheers,

Michael”

Treuhaft spent just over five years in all during his two stints at VML.

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