GroupM has appointed Michael Karg as CEO in Europe.
He partially replaces outgoing GroupM EMEA CEO Josh Krichefski, who announced he was leaving on Tuesday.
In the new role, Karg will oversee GroupM’s operations in Europe, working under global CEO Brian Lesser and alongside the rest of the leadership team including UK CEO Kate Rowlinson.
According to a GroupM spokesperson, although a replacement has not yet been named to cover Krichefski’s responsibilities in the Middle East and Africa, those markets “still remain a priority and will continue to be led by their existing local leadership”.
Karg joined GroupM in 2021 as Mindshare’s global chief operating officer. More recently, he was Mindshare’s interim global solutions lead, managing key accounts and overseeing global agency operations.
Earlier in his career, Karg spent 10 years at Publicis Groupe agency Digitas and another nine years at Razorfish, another Publicis shop. From 2016 to 2019, he was CEO of Ebiquity.
In a post on LinkedIn, Karg said he was “thrilled” to step into the role.
“It’s an exciting time to be in media,” he wrote. “There’s never been a better or more important time to help brands and businesses drive innovation and growth in Europe. I’m looking forward to working with old and new friends, colleagues and partners in this new capacity to help our clients take advantage of the many exciting opportunities ahead of us.”
A spokesperson for GroupM said Karg “will work closely with our market leaders to drive growth for our clients”, adding that his “deep understanding of the media landscape and passion for growth will be invaluable as we work to accelerate marketing transformation for our clients and build on our leadership position across the region”.
Josh Krichefski announces he’s leaving GroupM
