As Group Director of Digital Engineering, Jonathan Kim has overseen an elite team of "digital engineers" at The Media Kitchen who develop new ways of leveraging digital media technology - both homegrown and from partners - to make their clients' media work harder, more efficiently and more effectively.

When Nicolas Bidon took the helm of Xaxis a couple of years ago, the WPP unit has already been through many changes -- in leadership and in business models. Not surprisingly, Bidon embarked on transforming it once again, shifting from its roots in ad tech black boxes and programmatic arbitrage to an "outcome-driven" media company that delivered on his clients "real objectives," by creating ad experiences that their consumers actually welcome.

Shane Ankeney, our 2019 Media Executive All-Star, is proof positive that nice guys can finish first. In the four years that the deeply experienced media veteran has served as Havas Media's President, North America, things have gone tres bien for the French-owned agency. His tenure has been marked by 40% revenue growth and 35% staff growth. And in 2018, the shop was named MediaPost's Media Agency of the Year.

Lou Paskalis, the senior vice president of customer engagement and investment for Bank of America and a 2019 MediaPost All Star, is passionate, but not necessarily always pleased about the digital marketing environment.

It was nearly impossible to avoid 2019's so-called chicken wars. Popeyes threw the first punch last summer by introducing a Chick-Fil-A-like sandwich, sparking the latter chain to respond with its own attempts at humor in today's battle zone -- social media.

When Ally Financial CMO Andrea Brimmer spoke at a recent Association of National Advertisers conference, the large audience was completely riveted.

Much like the agency he founded -- Sparks & Honey -- Terry Young defies a simple description. He began his career in the late 90s at seminal digital agency IPG's SixtyFootSpider, pivoted into management consulting at McKinsey, then moved back into the wonky side of the agency business at Omnicom's data-centric Targetbase before leaving the business altogether to join the Peace Corps.

MediaPost 2019 Creative All-Star Scott Donaton has a simple philosophy. Deceptively simple. "For me the best definition of a brand is that it's a promise," he told attendees at last year's Digital Upfronts. "But what good is a promise that no one believes?"

Last year when Kristen Cavallo received many best-of 2018 accolades, these honors were based largely on her potential as the first female creative leader of The Martin Agency. A year later, MediaPost is inducting her as an All Star based on what she has accomplished.