Unified retail media platform Zitcha has appointed experienced executive, Tony Karp, as its new group chief operating officer as part of a broader restructuring of key leadership roles following continued global and APAC growth.
A proven business and transformation leader with a career spanning fintech, retail and technology, Karp was most recently North American president of Australian-founded digital gifting company Prezzee, where he delivered rapid revenue and market growth in the US and launched the brand into Canada. He previously served as CEO of Prezzee and has also held executive roles at David Jones, Principal Financial group and Jones Lang LaSalle.
As Zitcha’s Group COO he is responsible for ensuring Zitcha’s delivery and operations are world-class, scalable and seamlessly tailored to the needs of clients at every stage of their retail media journey.
Karp said: “I’ve always believed the power of any business lies in the strength of its strategy, its culture and its people. Zitcha has all three in spades. It’s a world-class retail media platform with an ambitious vision and an energised team that genuinely cares about its clients’ success. I’m looking forward to scaling the operational foundations that will support Zitcha’s next phase of growth.”
Zitcha has also announced a restructure of key roles to align with its global expansion, while providing strong APAC leadership. Co-founder and former chief operating officer, Jack Byrne, becomes CEO for the APAC region, reflecting Zitcha’s ongoing commitment to supporting retailers in Australia, New Zealand and broader Asia. Troy Townsend, Zitcha’s co-founder who relocated to the United States late last year, becomes group CEO and will lead Zitcha’s international growth strategy.
Townsend said: “The addition of Tony to our global executive team comes at an important moment for Zitcha. We’re expanding in North America and other international markets, and we need the right structures in place to scale efficiently while staying close to our clients. His experience in driving transformation and growth in North America and Australia will be key to strengthening our delivery and enable Jack and the APAC team to build deep, local partnerships with retailers and brands.”
Byrne added: “We are born in APAC, and have commenced our journey of global growth with boots on the ground in the UK and US. That requires focus not only on the business and the amazing staff who power it, but also the attention on our customers in this region who help shape our future. The APAC team is firing and this is a great opportunity to head into the next chapter and ensure our clients are supported by the most agile, focused and future-ready retail media platform in the market.”
Karp joins Zitcha after a number of recent strategic moves from the Australian founded business, including the appointment of Jim Kane as vice president of sales – global, and Alberto Vergara to the newly created role of head of data and AI to help retailers and brands create more precise, predictive and high-performing retail media campaigns. In October last year, Zitcha raised A$15 million (US$10 million) in Series A funding led by US investment firm VMG Partners to accelerate its North American expansion.
