Wavemaker Names Toby Jenner New Global Chief Executive
He succeeds GroupM North America CEO Tim Castree in the role
Wavemaker, part of WPP’s GroupM, has named a new chief executive.
Toby Jenner will transition to the role from his current position as MediaCom worldwide chief operating officer over the summer, beginning his new role in September. He succeeds Tim Castree, who was promoted to GroupM North America CEO last December.
Jenner will lead GroupM’s team of 8,600 employees, which manages $13 billion in billings for clients across 90 countries, according to COMvergence. He will report directly to GroupM global CEO Kelly Clark.
“Toby has been an outstanding contributor to our group’s growth for more than 15 years. In his 11 years at MediaCom, he’s been instrumental in delivery of breakthrough client work, a winning streak on award circuits regionally and globally, and powerful business development performance,” Clark said in a statement. “Toby is passionate about helping our clients win and is a fierce competitor for them, as well as for our business. He inspires our people to consistently exceed expectations and supports them in their own career development. He will be a strong leader with the very talented team at Wavemaker.”
Jenner’s 11 years with MediaCom include over four years in his most recent role. After joining MediaCom as Australasia CEO in 2008, he went on to serve in roles as COO for Asia Pacific and executive chairman for Australasia, and global chief business development and marketing officer before being promoted to his most recent role in 2015. Prior to joining MediaCom, he served as managing director for MEC.
“I’m really looking forward to meeting my new colleagues and our clients at Wavemaker in the coming months. I’m fortunate to join a business with very strong local markets, a great team, a great client portfolio, and a track record in delivering growth for brands,” Jenner said in a statement. “Like any business, I’m sure there are areas where we can be stronger. We’ll address those as a team and take the agency on to even greater success moving forward.”
“I’d like to thank everyone at MediaCom. Across 11 years, 4 different continents and 4 different roles, I’ve had the opportunity to meet the most amazing people who’ve all been instrumental in preparing me for this new chapter,” he added.
The announcement follows a series of U.S. leadership changes at GroupM introduced by Castree last month.
