• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, March 7, 2019

Strategic media management consultancy ID Comms is bulking up its leadership team in London with the appointment with three senior Adland veterans. A fourth executive is joining the New York office, which opened last year. 

Nick Barron, the former CEO of MediaCom MENA, has become a full-time senior consultant at the firm, having worked there part-time since November 2016. He will continue to provide advice on media and marketing transformation efforts covering training, talent, data and measurement among other areas. 

Boosting the firm’s digital credentials, Suzie Rafla joins as head of digital. Previously, she worked in leadership roles at Ecselis, Havas Media Group, Arena and Razorfish. 

John Pain joins as senior consultant, having led media operations at several blue-chip marketers. He is a former global media director at LEGO Group and has also worked at BP and Virgin Atlantic Airways. He will work alongside the existing team of ID Comms consultants to help brands improve their media performance, focusing on more effective ways of working. 

Those executives will be based in London.

The company has also recruited Tracy Chafetz to join its New York team to help build out its U.S. expansion. She has previously worked in senior positions at Hearst Magazines and Condé Nast and will lead the firm’s business development across North America. 

“Bringing these experienced media leaders into our team is the next stage in the ID Comms journey as trusted advisors to the world’s biggest brands,” said ID Comms CEO David Indo. “They each bring a huge range of expertise, knowledge and a host of unique perspectives to the marketing challenges on which we advise. They will enhance our knowledge and sector experience as we grow the company globally."

The additions to the team follow a strong 2018 at the consultancy. The firm advised on some of the year’s biggest media agency reviews, including Puma, LVMH and GSK,  accounting for more than 40% of all international pitches by billings in 2018, according to COMvergence.