Wunderman Names Global Analytics Chief

In the US, WPP-owned digital agency network Wunderman has hired former Merkle exec Yannis Kotziagkiaouridis as Global Chief Analytics Officer.

The group comprises advertising, marketing and consulting companies and defines their role as combining creative, data and technology to connect customers and brands. Founded by brothers Lester and Irving Wunderman in 1958, it now has 175 offices in 60 countries. Kotziagkiaouridis (pictured) joins with seventeen years' experience, the past seven of which at Merkle, most recently as VP, CRM Analytics & Strategy. Before this, he worked at Omnicom-owned TPG Direct as VP of Quantitative Strategy, and earlier, he was the same firm's Director - Analytics and Database Strategy.

In his new Dallas-based role, Kotziagkiaouridis is tasked with developing and integrating strategies for analytical insights that tap into Wunderman's data and data-driven technology capabilities, and overseeing the development of additional proprietary analytics products and platforms. He will report to Gary Laben, Wunderman's Global Chief Data Officer and CEO of KBM Group - the firm's data, insights and marketing technology arm. Additionally, Kotziagkiaouridis will oversee development and delivery of analytics services for KBM Group, reporting in this capacity to William Burkart, the division's President and COO.

Commenting on the appointment, Laben said: 'Yannis has a proven track record in delivering analytics strategies, applications and best practices to prominent brands around the world. He will accelerate our ability to marshal and align client thinking so that brands can evolve into data-driven, insight-driven marketing organizations.'

Web sites: www.wunderman.com and www.kbmg.com .