Manning Gottlieb OMD is bringing back its former head of mobile Mark Halliday from its sister Omnicom network in Asia as the agency ramps up its performance marketing capability.
Halliday, chief executive, performance, of Omnicom Media Group APAC, will join MG OMD in the new role of chief data and digital officer in January.
He worked at MG OMD for five years until 2013, before moving to Singapore and taking various roles at Omnicom APAC over the past five years.
Halliday will be responsible for rolling out and managing Omni, Omnicom’s people-based precision marketing and insights platform, which is designed to identify consumer experience at scale.
MG MD is investing heavily in digital, tech and analytics capbilities in order to increase Omni’s effectiveness.
Omnicom said Omni has already helped the group win the £140m UK government media buying account, as well retaining the Specsavers business earlier this year.
Halliday will report to Natalie Bell, MG OMD managing director, and join the agency's board of directors.
MG OMD has also recruited Tony Rimmer, Coty’s vice-president, global head marketing science, who will join in the new position of executive director, head of data and effectiveness.
It means that the agency will have, for the first time, someone to combine data and effectiveness, heading a department of 30 people. Rimmer will report to Halliday.
Meanwhile, Daniel Hernandez has been named MG OMD's head of Resolution, Omnicom Media Group’s search and performance marketing division that operates globally. He joined from Resolution Media US, which remains a stand-alone agency.
Bell said: "At an exciting time for us, these appointments are reflective of our investment and ambition for further growth in digital and data solutions – and in bringing new perspectives to what we do, from different markets, agency models and client-side roles.
"It’s also great to have Mark back with us – his energy and passion for what he does is second to none, and I look forward to the impact he’ll have for us and our clients."
