Alycia Mason Joins Wavemaker as CEO, Bringing Brand-Side ExpertiseAlycia Mason Joins Wavemaker as CEO, Bringing Brand-Side Expertise GroupM has announced the appointment of Alycia Mason as the new CEO of its US agency, Wavemaker, effective from the end of July. Mason joins from McDonald’s, where she most recently served as the chief customer experience officer, driving digital transformation initiatives. Mason’s move to Wavemaker marks a return to her agency roots. She previously held management positions at Starcom, OMD, and Mindshare, gaining valuable experience in media buying and digital customer engagement. At McDonald’s, Mason was responsible for enhancing digital capabilities critical to the restaurant chain during the pandemic, including third-party apps and delivery services. She also led efforts to expand McDonald’s omnichannel operations, resulting in improved sales profitability and increased return on investment for media. Mason’s brand-side experience is expected to be instrumental in Wavemaker’s transformation amid heightened industry pressures. GroupM is focusing on data-driven marketing and integrated agency solutions, moving away from legacy models. Mason’s understanding of client challenges in aligning marketing with business outcomes will be invaluable in supporting Wavemaker’s clients. Commenting on the appointment, Sharb Farjami, CEO of GroupM North America, described Mason as a “change agent” whose “digital expertise, strategic mindset, brand knowledge, and experience leading large, integrated teams” make her an ideal leader for Wavemaker. Mason’s appointment is part of several leadership changes at GroupM under Farjami’s tenure, including the creation of a new Chief Growth Officer role. Mason will split her time between Chicago and New York. Despite its restructuring, GroupM’s parent company, WPP, has faced challenges due to a slump in technology spending and the loss of major accounts. However, Mason’s appointment signals GroupM’s commitment to reinvention and harnessing its data capabilities to drive growth for clients.
Dive short:
- GroupM has appointed Alycia Mason as CEO of its US agency Wavemaker, effective from the end of July, according to a press release.
- Mason joins from the WPP group, where she most recently served as field vice president overseeing thousands of stores. In 2022, the executive was named the burger chain’s first U.S. customer experience officer, leading digital transformation through apps, delivery platforms and in-store kiosks.
- Mason joins Wavemaker’s global leadership team, reporting to Sharb Farjami, CEO of GroupM North America. The hire comes as GroupM seeks to reinvent itself for a more data-driven marketing era.
Diving insight:
Mason returns to her agency roots with the jump to Wavemaker, a media buying shop within WPP’s GroupM media giant. At McDonald’s, the executive helped drive the advancement of digital capabilities that became critical to quick service restaurants during the pandemic, including working on third-party apps and delivery services. Earlier in her career at the Golden Arches, she served as vice president of digital customer experience and media to expand McDonald’s omnichannel operations, resulting in improved sales profitability and doubled return on investment for media.
That experience could help GroupM hone its own sophistication with technology amid heightened business pressures. The company, which built its reputation in an era dominated by TV, is undergoing a restructuring in North America as it moves away from legacy models and focuses more resources on data-driven marketing and integrated agency solutions, Ad Age previously reported.
Mason’s time at McDonald’s could also help her better serve the needs of clients struggling with their own transformations. Chief marketers have been pushed to master different media strategies in the face of signal loss, such as the elimination of cookies and the push to align marketing with business outcomes. In announcing the hire, Farjami, CEO of GroupM North America, described Mason as a “change agent.”
“Her digital expertise, strategic mindset, brand knowledge and experience leading large, integrated teams make her the ideal leader to drive growth for Wavemaker US,” Farjamai said of Mason in a press release. “Her forward-thinking leadership and brand-side perspective will be invaluable to our entire organization.”
Farjami took over as GroupM’s top North American executive earlier this year, replacing Kirk McDonald. He previously led Wavemaker in the region. Farjami has made several other hires, including the appointment of a new Chief Operating Officer and the creation of GroupM’s first Chief Growth Officer role in February.
Mason, who worked at McDonald’s for almost six years, is familiar with the world of media agencies. She previously worked at Starcom from Publicis, OMD from Omnicom and Mindshare, also part of GroupM. Previous clients under her responsibility include Kellogg, Kraft, BP, Castrol, JCPenney and Dell. At Wavemaker, Mason will split her time between Chicago and New York.
GroupM’s shake-up comes as parent company WPP has been hit by a slump in technology spending, weakness in markets such as China and the loss of major accounts. The advertising holding group saw revenue fall by 1.4% in the first quarter. It expects growth to be flat or at 1% for the entire year.
