• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, July 23, 2014

Twenty–year marketing veteran Jamie Gallo has joined Wunderman as president of its New York office, the agency said Wednesday. He replaces Chris Loll, who was named North American COO at IPG Mediabrands in May.

Gallo will oversee all activities at the New York office and serve Wunderman clients, such as Best Buy, Citibank, Coca-Cola, Land Rover, Marriott and United Airlines. Among his first priorities will be identifying additional top-tier creative talent to work alongside Wunderman Global Creative Director Lincoln Bjorkman.

Gallo joined the WPP agency from the National Basketball Association, where he was EVP global marketing. During his tenure at the NBA, he is credited with having led social media initiatives and a rebranding of the WNBA. His efforts there also led to increased online sales of tickets and branded merchandise, according to the agency.

Gallo will report to Kass Sells, president, Wunderman North America. Commenting on the hire Sells said of Gallo: “Thanks to time spent on both the agency and client sides of the business, he understands how technology continues to transform our industry, and how personalized, one-to-one marketing can be used to drive business results for brands.”   

Prior to the NBA, Gallo served as president of TBWA\Chiat\Day in New York, where he led efforts for clients such as Accenture, GSK, Nissan, Pepsi and Absolut.

“Modern marketing requires a keen understanding of and ability to connect data, technology and creativity to reach consumers," said Gallo. Wunderman, he proclaimed, is an agency “that understands how important that is to clients today."