Updated Jan. 30, 2012
Dominic Proctor has been named president of GroupM, parent company of Mindshare Worldwide, GroupM confirmed on Jan. 26. Proctor, the former CEO of Mindshare, will be replaced by Nick Emery, chief strategy officer for Mindshare.
Proctor will continue to report to global CEO Irwin Gotlieb.
The creation of Proctor’s new position at GroupM is part of a larger global reorganization that also makes Gotlieb chairman of GroupM, according to a company statement.
“These changes represent a logical and important progression for us,” said Gotlieb in a statement. Gotlieb added that the company’s “rate of growth” and the “complexity” of its business requires constant evolution.
“We’re grown significantly in the last few years and … the environment we work in has become more complicated,” Proctor said. “So, to us, it became clear that we want to concentrate on big technology and data as opportunities for our clients.”
In his new position, Proctor will be responsible for the “overall strategic direction” of GroupM, with a focus on ensuring that the company can more successfully harness technology and data. He will be tasked with the oversight of all of GroupM’s agencies around the world, including Mindshare, MediaCom, Maxus and MEC. The CEOs and regional management of those agencies will report to Proctor.
“My basic goal is to help the agencies grow” globally, “not just in the markets where we’re already well-established, but in other markets,” such as in Asia and Latin America — areas that are set to grow themselves, making expansion there a “double win” for GroupM, Proctor said.
Though his role is “complicated,” Proctor said he will have good managers in place at the regional agencies to make sure the work goes smoothly.
“Otherwise, it’s far too big a job for one group of people to take on from the center,” he said.
Proctor founded Mindshare Worldwide in 1997, the first media investment management agency under WPP. Prior to Mindshare, he served as the media director, managing director and ultimately the chief executive at JWT London.
