The Verizon CEO, a native Swede, was visibly shaken and on the verge of tears throughout a speech he read at a company forum addressing racism in America.

The new unit -- Novus Next -- will be led by media veteran Rob Davis, who joined Novus in 2018 after 25 years with Starcom. "The ability to reach consumers geospatially will be critical for brands" as the economy reopens in phases by region, Davis says.