GroupM agency Wavemaker has promoted Shivani Maharaj to chief content & partnership officer, as it scales its successful content division to deliver creative and innovative media ideas for clients.
As part of Wavemaker’s content offering, Maharaj will be tasked with ensuring the ongoing and continued growth of the Content & Partnerships product, which has thrived during COVID with more of Wavemaker’s brands seeking media solutions that go beyond traditional advertising. She will also be tasked with driving addressable content opportunities across the agency and for clients, building out the agency’s capabilities, and embedding addressable content opportunities into the planning process.
Under Maharaj’s leadership to date, the growing Content & Partnerships division has worked closely with new economy clients, DoorDash, Airbnb and Netflix, and on Wavemaker’s recent pitch success on L’Oréal.
Maharaj has worked for GroupM for 15 years and joined Wavemaker five years ago, after spending eight years at MediaCom. She has held senior leadership roles in partnerships, innovation, planning, and investment.
She has created award-winning work for brands like Jeep, Government, KFC, Volkswagen, and Canon. Shivani also contributes to the industry at large, having been part of MFA5+ and nGen, and is a founding member of The Australian Influencer Marketing Council, driving best practices and supporting brands, agencies, and influencer/creators.
Maharaj takes up this new role at Wavemaker immediately, and will report to Peter Vogel, chief executive officer.
Vogel said of the appointment: “Our clients recognise the increasing growth opportunities in partnerships, addressability and addressable content. It’s important that we have leading strategic creative expertise and delivery capabilities in these rapidly expanding areas. Shiv’s is an energetic and experienced leader who has driven the Content & Partnerships agenda, redefining how a media agency can deliver creative engagement experiences for brands. We are excited to recognise her achievements and are looking to her developing our offering – championing the opportunities for growth that it offers to clients.”
Shivani added, “I’m extremely excited by Wavemaker’s ethos of Positive Provocation, and its focus on driving digital transformation and growth for its impressive portfolio of clients. I’m looking forward to working with Peter Vogel, James Hier and the team to establish Wavemaker as a world-class provider of content, partnerships, addressability and addressable content solutions, and to bring something wholly transformative to the way our clients address their customers.”
