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Denstu Americas Media CEO Sean Reardon is leaving the agency immediately, the company confirmed to ADWEEK.
Will Swayne, global practice president of media at dentsu, will fill the role with an expansion of his purview into the U.S.
Other dentsu leaders will continue in their current roles, according to a statement:
“Mike Law will continue to oversee Carat, Leah Meranus will continue to lead dentsu X, and Liz Rutgersson will continue to lead iProspect.”
Reardon was named head of dentsu’s U.S. media practice in December 2023. He was previously CEO of adtech firm MiQ and also held the CEO role at Zenith U.S. and Moxie.
“Media is the driver of dentsu’s integrated growth solutions powered by creativity, data, and technology, and through this shift, we aim to achieve consumer connectivity for our client’s brands at scale,” a dentsu spokesperson said in a statement. “The U.S. is emerging as a key driver of media opportunity and leadership and will continue to be an area in which dentsu invests in talent and capabilities.”
Swayne is a long-time dentsu exec who has been in his current role since 2023. He was formerly the global president of Carat and global client president of what was once called the Dentsu Aegis Network.
Dentsu global chief operating officer Giulio Malegori sent an internal statement to staff announcing the changes, which can be read in full below:
Dear Team,
I am writing to share some significant changes within dentsu Americas Media Practice. As part of our global strategy and to accelerate Media as a growth engine, Will Swayne, dentsu’s Global Practice President of Media, will also take on the leadership of the US market. This change aligns with media being the driver of Integrated Growth Solutions (IGS), powered by creativity, data, and technology. Through this shift, we aim to achieve intelligent scale, with the US emerging as a key driver of media opportunity and leadership. Dentsu will continue to invest in talent and capabilities in this area.
We also want to inform you that Sean Reardon, CEO of Americas Media Practice, is stepping down from his role at dentsu, effective immediately. To ensure stability, continuity, and continued growth during this transition, Michael Law will continue to oversee Carat, Leah Meranus will continue to lead Dentsu X, and Liz Rutgersson will continue to lead iProspect. Their leadership, combined with the expertise of our talented team across the Americas, positions us strongly for this period of change.
Thank you for your dedication and hard work. Should you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We will also be coordinating conversations with our leadership team to address any specific queries.
Giulio Malegori
EVP & Global Chief Operating Officer, dentsu
Chairman & Acting CEO, dentsu Americas
