GroupM’s EssenceMediacom Australia has announced the appointment of Sarah James as chief investment officer. James brings over 15 years’ experience in media investment and a proven track record of leading large teams, driving innovation and delivering exceptional results – all while navigating complexity.
Most recently, she was managing director of Initiative Melbourne and previously led the Woolworths agency, a 60-person team within Dentsu.
In her CIO role, James will lead EssenceMediacom’s Media Solutions and Investment across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. She will work with GroupM CIO Melissa Hey to oversee a client portfolio of close to $1bn in media spending.
“Sarah is an exceptional talent in media. She brings a unique and dynamic skillset to the role in EssenceMediacom, that goes beyond what you might expect from a traditional chief investment officer. I’m excited for her to join our team,” said Melissa Hey, GroupM Australia & New Zealand CIO.
The team sits at the heart of EssenceMediacom, managing full-funnel media excellence across all channels and translating strategic thinking, insights and data planning into real results for clients. She will be responsible for defining and executing EssenceMediacom’s Breakthrough investment and implementational planning strategies for our clients, fostering strong media partner relationships, and continuing to drive innovation across all media channels.
“We are thrilled to welcome Sarah to the family. Sarah’s background speaks for itself. She’s a dynamic, people-first leader, who gets the digital, tech and data space and I have no doubt she’ll lead our Media Solutions and Investment team with vision, passion and care. Transformation excites her, and her strong digital background makes her phenomenally well-placed to lead, helping our clients to break through in the digital age. Sarah’s deep understanding of the evolving media landscape, coupled with her proven leadership skills, make her the ideal candidate to lead our investment team into the future,” said Pippa Berlocher, CEO of EssenceMediacom Australia.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining EssenceMediacom. The opportunities within media investment have never been greater, with innovation, precision media and emerging tech allowing us to deliver truly exceptional value for clients. I’m incredibly excited to work alongside Pippa and the entire team, leveraging their expertise and our collective passion to drive impactful results. I can’t wait to get started,” said James.
