Revolving Door Roundup: Jack Morton, Konnect, R/GA and More

By Kyle O'Brien 

Revolving Door Roundup.

April showers are raining down, sprouting up more agency moves, promotions and sales. So, without further ado, let’s wring out the umbrella and walk through this week’s Revolving Door Roundup.

Altman Solon

Global strategy consulting firm Altman Solon has hired media and entertainment industry veteran Mary Ann Halford as a partner.

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In the role, she’ll be responsible for helping U.S. and international clients develop and implement new business models, optimize business performance, and create new content and distribution strategies. She previously served as a senior adviser to OC&C Strategy Consultants and independently advised media clients on the implementation of new business models and optimization of business performances.

Four Seasons

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has named Marc Speichert as its executive vice president and chief commercial officer, a newly created role.

He will oversee the development and execution of the company’s integrated commercial strategy. Prior to Four Seasons, Speichert was global chief digital officer at GSK Consumer Healthcare, and previous to that he was a senior executive at Google on its global clients and agency solutions team. 

Jack Morton

Brand experience agency Jack Morton named its first global DEI lead, promoting agency veteran Natalie Ackerman to the role of evp, talent and inclusion.

The appointment will see Ackerman serving as the agency’s first official DEI executive, while also taking responsibility for talent across the agency, working closely with the global HR team. According to a statement, Ackerman has championed the pursuit of creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive environment at the agency over the course of the past several years and the position will allow her to focus exclusively on the agency’s people and DEI practices, partnering closely with agency leadership to evaluate and accelerate programs to support efforts around engagement, policies, professional development and recruitment.  She previously served as evp of the Greater China region for Jack Morton.

“Natalie has been instrumental in leading Jack Morton’s inclusion efforts for the last few years and is extraordinarily passionate about our talent. So, this role was a natural next step for her,” Jack Morton chairman and CEO Josh McCall said in a statement. “Her dedication and commitment to our people is exceptional and it shows in all that she does. We’re thrilled to have her back in the U.S. taking on this important initiative.”

Konnect

Brand marketing agency Konnect Agency has tapped digital marketer Jason Jacquot to lead its digital practice. Jacquot will oversee and expand all divisional capabilities and staffing. He will work alongside agency CEO Sabina Gault, and president Amanda Bialek.

Prior to joining Konnect Agency, Jacquot served as managing director at Nomad Digital + Venture, a Los Angeles performance marketing agency. He has worked with brands including MGM, Draft Kings, and Taco Bell, while also working closely with Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest on various alpha partner programs.

Level Agency

Pittsburgh digital agency Level Agency has sold the company to Patrick Patterson and Patrick Van Gorder, former president and executive vice president, respectively.

The agency was founded in 2010 by CEO Tom Donohoe, who will be moving on to pursue new career endeavors. Managing partner and president Patterson has been entrusted with leading and growing the agency. Van Gorder is an equal partner in the deal and will continue to focus on team development and client success.

PriceWeber

Kentucky digital marketing and advertising agency PriceWeber has named its current media director, Mary Kate Reed, as a new company shareholder and senior vice president. She joined PriceWeber in 2015

“Over the last six years, Mary Kate has worked tirelessly to ensure the present and future success of PriceWeber,” said Fred Davis, president and CEO at PriceWeber. “Mary Kate’s work ethic, expertise and dedication to her teammates and the company is unmatched. We are looking forward to her continued influence on PriceWeber in this new role.”

R/GA Tokyo

R/GA hired Kei Shimada, founding member and former leader of the Digital Makers Lab at IBM Tokyo to lead its Tokyo office as managing director.

In addition to leading the office, as managing director of R/GA Tokyo, Shimada will work closely with other regional leaders to support R/GA clients.

While one of the newest offices in the network, R/GA claims R/GA Tokyo has seen “exponential growth” in recent years, adding international and Japanese brands including Nike, Suntory and Uber to its client roster.

“It’s exciting to have a respected, inventive, and influential leader like Kei onboard. With an ambition to leverage new technologies to help clients create new solutions for a more human future, coupled with an incredible track record of commercial and creative success, there’s no one else better to be at the helm of R/GA Tokyo,” R/GA Asia Pacific evp, managing director Tuomas Peltoniemi said in a statement.

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