GroupM has expanded its investment intelligence team as it enhances its digital strategy and approach to investment.

Venessa Hunt (pictured below) has been promoted to digital strategy and investment officer alongside Liesa Newland (main photo) who has been promoted to head of trading intelligence.

Hunt’s remit is to lead the group’s digital direction. She will continue to work closely with all GroupM agencies and our media industry partners to develop solutions built on trends and technologies that play a transformational role in consumers’ lives to meet our clients’ objectives and give them a competitive advantage.

Hunt, who joined GroupM in 2015, was previously head of digital investment and partnerships.

Previously, Newland was intelligence and data director and has been with GroupM for 15 years focused on building the group’s centralised data and trading intelligence capabilities.

In her new role she will work with GroupM CIO Nicola Lewis, and the sigital strategy and investment officer, to identify and execute market leading data-led trading strategies and platform agnostic methodologies.

Nicola Lewis, GroupM Australia chief investment officer, said: “I am thrilled to recognise two team members of the calibre of Venessa and Liesa and strengthen our competitive advantage in investment strategy. We have the best talent in market within GroupM and being able to reward our people with promotions and new challenges that match their passions and expertise means we continue to inspire excellence in everything we do, and deliver the best outcomes to our clients.”

“During her three years at GroupM Venessa has proven herself a highly skilled media executive, with a deep understanding and passion for digital media. As Digital Strategy and Investment Officer, Venessa will work both at a group level and with our individual agency brands to continually push the boundaries and further enhance our digital strategy and approach to investment, whilst working with our clients to navigate the role of digital within both brand and performance.”

“Liesa has been pivotal to building GroupM’s centralised data hub and in her new role will be integral to ensuring that all investment decisions are grounded in GroupM’s unique approach to gathering and organising data.”

Both appointments are effective immediately. Hunt and Newland will also sit on the GroupM leadership team and report to Nicola Lewis, GroupM Australia chief investment officer. They will work alongside Fahad Bashir, head of compliance and pricing, who joined in June from GroupM Indonesia where he was chief investment officer.

At the same time, Finecast managing director Brett Poole and Xaxis managing director Imran Masood, have also joined the GroupM Leadership team.

Hunt said: “I am looking forward to this opportunity to elevate the game. As most mediums become digitised, we begin to see the rise of a converged media landscape and the speed of change is ever continuing. There has never been a better time to look at the bigger strategic possibilities. My focus will be to foster a centre of excellence for digital strategy within GroupM to support our teams and agencies with expert digital knowledge as they help our clients navigate this changing landscape.”

Liesa Newland added: “It’s always been important to me to ensure we’re using data and technology to transform our clients’ business. I love solving problems at speed and being able to tap into global and local expertise and partnerships to deliver unique insights, productivity, and competitive advantages for all our clients.”