Mindshare appoints global chief strategy officer

Mindshare has hired Tom Di Sapia, chief strategy officer EMEA at UM, as global chief strategy officer.

 

Di Sapia will be based in London and responsible for leading strategy and innovation for Mindshare’s clients.

 

He started at UM in 2012 – based in Sydney, Australia – and later joined PHD as global innovation director on Unilever.

 

Di Sapia returned to UM in 2015 and spent a further eight years at the shop, this time based in London.

 

Throughout his career at UM, he has worked across the agency's global and EMEA clients as well as new business initiatives across IPG, including Dyson, Johnson & Johnson, Honda and Mattel.

 

Di Sapia has previously held senior roles such as strategic planning for Coca-Cola and innovation for Microsoft APAC.

 

“Tom is a true ‘end-to-end’ strategist who leverages his deep expertise in digital and performance with broader brand planning and creative skills,” Adam Gerhart, global chief executive at Mindshare, said.

 

“He is a strategic thinker with a consultative way of working and is a true innovator. He is the perfect person to inspire and lead our strategic community internally and to accelerate growth for our clients around the world.”

 

Di Sapia started his career at i-level and Goodstuff, working on clients including Virgin Media, Xbox, BSkyB, Sony, Inbev and Bayer.

 

He said: “I’m really excited about the opportunity to accelerate growth for some of the world’s most iconic brands, using all the connections, datasets and technologies that we have at our disposal to do this.

 

“It’s a great challenge, breaking down the artificial barriers of things like brand and demand, and helping clients to find innovative solutions that drive their business. I can’t wait to start.”

 

Di Sapia’s appointment follows Mindshare's promotion of Janet Levine to head of global invention, a position that she will hold alongside her Unilever global strategy leadership role.

 

Levine has spent more than 13 years at Mindshare and has worked in a variety of creative media roles across the agency for clients such as Nike.

 

She will be based in New York and be responsible for leading a global practice focusing on “ideation and invention” across commerce, experience and inclusivity.

 

Gerhart said: “Janet has the ability to turn creative ideas into winning strategies, whatever the client or the brand. She knows the Mindshare network inside out but, more importantly, how to operate in increasingly connected and agnostic ways with clients, platforms and partners.

 

“As she looks to elevate our craft in these key areas, we’re excited to see her teams harness the power of creativity in media to help architect and drive growth for our clients.”

 

Levine added that consumers are demanding more authenticity from brands. “We need to create meaningful experiences that are both good for consumers and that drive growth for brands, and that’s what invention and good growth is all about,” she said.

 

Mindshare has also recently appointed Louise Martell, former chief strategy officer at Yonder Media, its new head of strategy, EMEA.

 

(This article first appeared on CampaignLive.co.uk)