Publicis Groupe’s media agency Zenith has hired one of the country’s most experienced product and strategy leaders, Penny Shell, to the newly-created role of chief strategy and product officer.
She has been tasked with overseeing strategy, planning and product capabilities across the business. Zenith said the strategy, planning and product capabilities form the ‘imagination’ part of Zenith’s ‘Investment, Imagination and Insight’ market proposition.
Shell will also focus on identifying and building media and communications solutions that drive growth and deliver brand and business outcomes for Zenith’s clients by connecting with services and smarts across the broader Publicis Groupe ANZ network.
She will be based in Zenith’s Melbourne office and join’s the agency’s executive leadership team. Co-national heads of strategy and planning Sarah Heitkamp and Simon Schoen will report into her.
“We are delighted to have Penny come on board to lead our product and strategy offering locally,” Zenith Australia CEO Jason Tonelli said.
“As an internationally award-winning strategist with more than 20 years’ experience in media and strategy roles, Penny is the ideal person to further elevate the Imagination tenet of our business to uncover new opportunities for competitive advantage for our clients.”
Shell is a former OMD product lead and Starcom head of strategy. She brings more than 20 years of experience to Zenith, mostly at media agencies, but has spent time working client side with Nike earlier in her career.
For the past six months she has worked as a strategy, product, brand and media consultant.
“After spending the last four months consulting with the team at Zenith Australia, I couldn’t pass up the chance to be a permanent member of the agency in creating true innovative products and building exciting solutions to close industry gaps,” she said
“It’s a privilege to join Zenith Australia at a time of such momentum and growth and I look forward to working with our incredible strategy, digital, planning and commerce leads to realise media’s potential to deliver new ROI for our clients.”
