• by Larissa Faw , October 18, 2017

Kevin Porter is departing Wieden+Kennedy to become head of media communications at Walrus. He will work closely with the agency's creative, strategy and public relations teams to deliver integrated offerings.

He replaces Mel Stern, who returned to J3/UM Worldwide to serve as addressable content strategy lead.

Walrus has been expanding its media offering since last year. It's all part of a strategic move to provide clients with "holistic solutions" that meet the growing demand among marketers for greater transparency in their media practices.

“In this complex media landscape, clients are increasingly looking for partners that can easily make sense of the noise and seamlessly execute a single strategic campaign across multiple platforms,” stated Frances Webster, cofounder, COO, Walrus. Porter has the "unique experience of building a media department from the ground up — something that we’ve identified as vital to the job, given the numerous platforms we operate across traditional, programmatic, search and social.”

Porter previously spent 10 years at W+K leading the New York media department and increasing agency digital billings by nearly $30 million. He has worked with clients including ESPN, JetBlue, Nabisco, CoverGirl, Bank of New York, Booking.com and Merck & Company.