• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, October 30, 2017

Merkle, part of Dentsu Aegis Network, has hired Joanne Zaiac, a 30-year veteran of the advertising industry for the post of Chief Cient Officer, Merkle America.

In the role, Zaiac will hone the agency’s client-facing value proposition as she develops overall strategy for account relationships and client services. 

Zaiac, joins Merkle from Publicis Groupe’s DigitasLBi North America, where she spent more than 18 years in senior level positions. Most recently, as COO for DigitasLBi North America, Zaiac was responsible for driving an operations overhaul.  

Earlier, Zaiac served as president of the DigitasLBi New York region for 10+ years, where she is credited with driving significant expansion and growth at the agency’s New York and Atlanta offices.

Zaiac also held key leadership roles at Havas Dentsu Marsteller and Wunderman Worldwide/Young & Rubicam.

She is the most recent in a series of senior managerial hires for the agency. They include Coleen Kuehn (chief media officer), Anne-Marie Schaffer (general manager, travel media and entertainment practice) and Claire Billings (vice president marketing, Europe).