Horizon Media Holdings has appointed Bhavana Smith chief operating officer, a new role at the company.  

According to Horizon, the appointment “reflects a broader strategic shift in how the agency defines, measures, and delivers value, emphasizing performance, transparency, and client-aligned outcomes.”  

Smith is an industry veteran with experience at Accenture, Publicis Groupe, and Mediacom. 

Along with Smith’s appointment, Horizon announced several senior executive promotions:    

All three executives have been with Horizon for a decade or longer. 

“The traditional agency model was built for agency revenue, not client outcomes,” said Bob Lord, president of Horizon Media Holdings and CEO, Horizon Global. “That distinction is no longer sustainable. While many are applying new technologies to optimize legacy systems, we are taking a fundamentally different approach. We are replacing them, rebuilding our operating model from first principles, and aligning incentives to business performance." 

The hiring of Smith, he added, "ensures we move with speed and conviction.”  

Most recently Smith ran her own marketing consultancy. Before that she was managing director at Publicis Media’s Apex Exchange. Earlier she was chief client officer at WPP’s Mediacom.