New York, NY – August 24, 2021:
Global data and technology driven marketing services company, Assembly, announced four new hires and six promotions of women in senior leadership roles throughout Q2 and Q3 of this year. New hires include Hattie Whiting, Chief Growth Officer for Europe, Sheila Hollins, SVP of Integrated Media, Felicia Zerrenner, VP of Display, and Kim Pezone, VP of Account Management. Promotions include Toni Box to SVP of Social, Sara Pollack to VP of Marketing, Christie Frazer to VP of Affiliate Marketing, Global, Lauren Edmonds to VP of Integrated Media, Gunilla Huddleston to VP of Marketing, EMEA, Kim Davis to VP of Paid Media, and Abby Kersh to Head of People, EMEA.
Assembly is in an accelerated period of growth, having recently been named part of the Stagwell Media Network, a group of leading global multichannel agencies that was brought together by agency hold co disruptor, Stagwell, to provide modern marketers with a comprehensive set of solutions across media, creative consultancy, technology and data expertise.
As a business, Assembly has strongly emphasized efforts to develop and nurture talent into senior leadership positions, and has simultaneously bolstered its Purpose pillar, which ensures the agency has specific objectives and strategies tied to People Experience, Impact and DE&I. In the U.S., Assembly reported a workforce gender ratio of 63% women to 37% men, which is 10% higher than industry benchmarks, reported by Statista at 52.5% women to 47.5% men in 2020.
Global Chief Marketing Officer, Mary Beth Keelty, commented on the recent group of promotions and new hires, saying,
“Our people are truly our greatest assets, and these dynamic leaders play a critical role in the empowerment of our teams, ensuring they have the tools and skills necessary to unlock growth in the business and in their own careers.”... “We believe in investing in our talent in all forms – and that has increasingly meant providing the flexibility to manage and grow teams in ways that are designed for more balance and enables increased focus on personal career development.”
- Keelty
Newly promoted SVP of Social, Toni Box, has played an instrumental role in building the agency’s social media practice from the ground up over the nearly nine years she has been at Assembly. On the promotion, Box said, “I was empowered to develop our core social offerings and unique value proposition, and build an incredibly talented team to help deliver on our promise. I can hardly put into words what it has felt like to see that vision come to life over the years, and for our social channel to grow so exponentially.” As SVP of Social, Box will continue to lead the agency’s organic and paid social channels, contribute to thought leadership, develop big picture strategy for enterprise clients, and provide the latest in training and development for her team.
Kim Davis was raised to VP of Paid Media, where she leads a growing team and supports all clients under the agency’s Baltimore portfolio. “I have the absolute privilege of leading the most amazing group of humans I have ever worked with. I am so proud of what this little team has accomplished in the past two years. When I joined the Baltimore team, I was one of six. Today, we are 17 and continue to grow under the strategic and forward-thinking work our team delivers to clients every day. I face every day with gratitude and excitement for the future,” Davis said.
Sheila Hollins, who was hired into the role of SVP of Integrated Media, brings over 20 years of industry experience to the agency. She joins Assembly following her time at Havas Media, where she was VP and Client Director. “For most of my career, I’ve focused on creating integrated, performance-driven experiences for clients.” In her new role, Hollins will leverage her deep understanding of integrated strategy to develop and nurture client relationships.
Sara Pollack was elevated to VP of Marketing, with an emphasis on driving marketing activity and brand proposition globally and locally within key markets around the world. Throughout her more than six-year tenure, she has guided the agency through multiple periods of change and growth, while contributing expertise in thought leadership through panel discussions and comprehensive studies and reports that put Assembly at the leading edge of the industry. On the promotion, Pollack commented, “I have an incredibly rewarding experience of leading and collaborating across a global team – mentorship is a huge area of focus for me, and I’m proud to work for an agency that is as committed as I am to nurturing talent and seeing team members thrive.”
Christie Frazer was promoted to Global VP of Affiliate Marketing after developing the affiliate channel at Assembly over 10 years ago.
“I launched affiliates with a vision to create a new, revenue-driving channel that would serve our clients’ needs and attract new brands to the agency. Since then, it has become one of the fastest growing areas – what started out as me alone has evolved into a talented team of 35+ people, and we’re still growing!”
- Frazer
Recently appointed VP of Display, Felicia Zerrenner joins Assembly with 15 years of industry experience, returning to the agency after a prior role. As a crucial leader in the agency’s Display practice, Zerrenner plans to build an education system that fosters an ever-curious environment among the Display team. “I want to instill the fact that we all have something to bring to the table. Everyone comes from a different background, giving them a unique perspective to share. Anyone, from a senior team member to entry level, can be an educator,” Zerrenner commented.
Lauren Edmonds was raised to VP of Integrated Media. On the role and her tenure at the agency, Lauren shared, “When I started at Assembly 12 years ago, as an entry level employee and the fifth employee of the South Carolina office, I never imagined that I would be in a leadership role with so many other talented, brilliant people. I have had the privilege of working alongside many inspiring women in my tenure who have encouraged and pushed me, both in my confidence and leadership abilities, and I’m ever thankful for all of the opportunities and the people that got me to where I am today.”
Recently promoted Head of People for Europe, Abby Kersh, has focused her efforts on connecting and improving the employee experience through the global pandemic. She’s helped guide employees through the complexities of remote work, developing new policies and introducing health and wellness programs to keep employees active and engaged, despite being apart. “Every day is unpredictable, and I have the opportunity to support so many people at all levels, which always keeps me on my toes,” Kersh said.
Gunilla Huddleston was raised to VP of Marketing for Europe, also serving in the role for sister agency, Locaria. As a multilingual marketing professional, Huddleston brings years of expertise in both global and local go-to-market strategy, which has helped deliver breakthrough growth particularly for Locaria and now Assembly. “Working across two of the most exciting agencies in the (Stagwell) group is an immense privilege. The truly global focus and diverse culture of our business are both reflected in the depth of partnership with which we connect our clients and their customers. I am astounded daily by the expertise and commitment to growth throughout the agency,” said Huddleston.
Hattie Whiting was recently appointed Chief Growth Officer of Europe last month, following her impressive 20-year industry tenure managing business growth, digital transformation, and media experience. She will help lead the diversification of markets and accelerate growth of current operations. Whiting shared her excitement, “The agency’s combination of strategy, data, technology, and media activation skills are much needed by brands – especially in the wake of COVID-19 – and I’m hugely excited about joining the team to deliver innovative and impactful solutions for clients across Europe and beyond.”
Finally, Kim Pezone joined the agency as VP of Account Management, following her time in similar roles at Digitas North America and Arnold Worldwide.