• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, June 13, 2016

Mindshare, part of WPP’s GroupM, has appointed Cheryl Idell to run its West Coast operations. She succeeds Adam Gerhart who was recently promoted to the role of CEO Mindshare U.S.

Idell will lead a team of 150 staffers and be based in Los Angeles. She will also have responsibility for the Portland office and recently launched San Francisco operations, which opened doors earlier this year.

West Coast clients include Lionsgate, Nike, BBVA, and Nordstrom.  

The appointment follows the recent restructuring of the North American leadership team which included Gerhart’s elevation to the U.S. CEO role.  The agency said that the hire also signals the growth of the West Coast operation including the opening of a San Francisco office as well as the LA office’s relocation to a new campus in Playa Vista. West Coast staff has increased 27% over the past year including a fourfold expansion of its analytics team.

Idell joins from Nielsen where she most recently held the role of EVP Client Solutions leading the Disney relationship.

Idell was with Nielsen for eight-plus years. Previously she was EVP Media and Marketing Planning at 20^th Century Fox for four years. Earlier she was President IAG Research (now Nielsen TV Brand Effect). She was also an EVP at Initiative Media.

“Cheryl is a world-class talent with a unique background encompassing client side, research, insights and analytics and is a true thought leader in our industry,” stated Ernie Simon, Mindshare’s North America CEO.