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Julie Levin - SVP, Strategic Growth for Marketing Services - Stagwell May 11, 2026

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As of May 2026, Julie Levin has just stepped into a major leadership role at Stagwell (the global "challenger" network known for its focus on AI and digital transformation).

In late April 2026, Stagwell revamped its growth strategy, and Julie was named SVP, Strategic Growth for Marketing Services.

Julie is described as a "dual-perspective" leader who understands both the agency hustle and the client’s internal pressures.

The "Both Sides of the Table" Expert: Her bio highlights a rare career mix. She has led agency growth at heavyweights like Publicis NA, The Martin Agency, and Horizon Media, but she also spent significant time on the brand side at Verizon.
Sector Specialty: In her new role at Stagwell, she is the lead for five key industries:
1. Financial Services
2. Automotive
3. Telecom (drawing on her Verizon roots)
4. Entertainment
5. Sports
Growth Philosophy: She is known for moving away from the "traditional agency structure" and instead building solutions based on how modern clients actually buy and operate. At Stagwell, her mission is to connect their "culture-moving creativity" with their high-end technology (like the Stagwell Marketing Cloud).

Verena Gründel - Director of Brand & Communications - DMEXCO May 11, 2026

Show notes

Verena Gründel is a leading figure in the European digital marketing and media landscape. As of 2026, she serves as the Director of Brand & Communications for DMEXCO (Digital Marketing & Exposition), one of the world's largest digital industry events held annually in Cologne.

The Voice of DMEXCO: Beyond her leadership role on the management board, she is the official host and face of the brand. She hosts the DMEXCO Podcast, where she interviews global C-level executives, CMOs, and tech disruptors on topics like agentic AI, retail media, and sustainable digital growth.
Editorial Background: Before joining DMEXCO in late 2023, she was the Editor-in-Chief of W&V (Werben & Verkaufen), Germany's most influential trade publication for marketing, media, and tech. Her tenure there established her as a top authority on brand transformation and digital trends.
Journalistic Roots: A trained journalist with a background in biology, she spent over 15 years reporting on the digital industry. She is known for her ability to "decode" complex tech buzzwords into actionable business strategies.

Moderation & Speaking: She is a frequent moderator for high-level industry events and panels (such as the Horizont Snowmasters), focusing on female leadership, personal branding, and the future of work.
Digital Transformation: Her current work focuses heavily on how companies can use data, creativity, and technology (specifically AI) to drive real business impact rather than just chasing hype.
Industry Advocacy: She is a member of the MMA (Marketing & Media Alliance) and is deeply involved in shaping the strategic positioning of the digital economy in Europe.

In her recent podcast episodes and speaking engagements, Verena has been particularly vocal about:

Agentic AI: The shift from "chatbots" to autonomous AI agents that can handle full customer journeys.
Retail Everywhere: How commerce is moving away from traditional websites and into AI conversations and social surfaces.
Female Leadership: Mentoring the next generation of women in the tech and agency worlds.

Colleen Meenan EVP at Publicis Media & Brad Feinberg VP of Media at Molson Coors May 08, 2026

Show notes

Colleen Meenan is an Executive Vice President at Publicis Media, where she focuses on leading media strategy, client partnerships, and integrated marketing solutions for major brands. She is recognized for her leadership in modern, data-driven media planning and helping clients navigate the evolving digital and advertising landscape.

Brad Feinberg is Vice President of Media & Marketing Operations at Molson Coors Beverage Company. He oversees media strategy, digital marketing, eCommerce, analytics, and consumer engagement across the company’s portfolio of brands. Feinberg is known for leading innovative campaigns, expanding first-party data capabilities, and helping modernize Molson Coors’ media and marketing operations.

Robyn Freye - President & Chief Growth Officer - CourtAvenue May 07, 2026

Show notes

Robyn Freye is a powerhouse in the advertising and marketing world, currently serving as the President and Chief Growth Officer of CourtAvenue. Appointed in early 2026, she is the first person to hold this dual leadership title for the agency, where she leads global growth strategy, M&A initiatives (with a focus on AI and data platforms), and unified client leadership. Career Highlights & Expertise Stagwell Leadership: Before joining CourtAvenue, Robyn spent several years as the SVP and Chief Growth Officer (North America) at Stagwell. She was a key architect in Stagwell’s rapid scale, notably helping launch "Sport Beach" at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity—a groundbreaking platform connecting athletes, marketers, and brands. Agency Veteran: Her 20+ year career includes senior roles at top-tier agencies such as R/GA, Pereira O'Dell, Digitaria Co., Ltd., and Deutsch.

Joel Halpern - Chief Marketing Officer, Morningside Brands, Inc. May 06, 2026

Show notes

Joel Halpern is a seasoned brand strategist, creative director, and marketing executive with over 20 years of experience building multimillion-dollar businesses from the ground up. As the CMO of Morningside Brands, he leads the global marketing and brand positioning for a high-end portfolio of international spirits, including Alma Del Jaguar Tequila. Career Highlights & Expertise The "Zero-to-One" Specialist: Joel is known for his ability to scale startups rapidly. In a recent tenure as CMO for the CTV ad platform Vibe.co, he helped grow the business from $0 to over $1M in Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR). Agency Founder: In 2012, he co-founded Loaded For Bear, an award-winning brand development firm. He led strategy and business development for over 100 global clients across diverse sectors before moving into specialized consultancy.

Harris Wilkinson - Chief Creative Officer - TMA May 05, 2026

Show notes

Harris Wilkinson is an award-winning creative leader in advertising and entertainment, currently serving as Chief Creative Officer at TMA, a global experiential and branded entertainment agency (with offices in LA, Chicago, NYC, Dallas). He oversees all creative output, blending storytelling across film, TV, advertising, activations, and sponsorships for clients like Die Hard, State Farm, Bet Rivers, Gatorade, Morgan Stanley, Six Flags, Buffalo Wild Wings, and more. Starting his career writing and producing commercials in Chicago agencies, he progressed through roles including Creative Director at TBWA\Chiat\Day LA and Senior VP/Group Creative Director at Omnicom before joining TMA (promoted to CCO in 2021 from SVP Creative).

Jen Seregos - Founder - Athena Digital May 05, 2026

Show notes

Jen Seregos is a serial entrepreneur and the Founder and Lead Strategist of Athena Digital, a boutique performance marketing agency based in Boulder, Colorado. Professional Background Athena Digital: Jen founded the agency with a "client-first" philosophy after observing businesses struggle with larger agencies that prioritized their own scaling over client results. She remains hands-on with every audit and strategy engagement, focusing on paid advertising (Meta, Google, TikTok), conversion rate optimization (CRO), and email marketing. AI Expertise: She is also the founder of JenSeregos.ai, where she consults with businesses on how to leverage AI to "grow smarter." She is a vocal advocate for integrating AI into marketing workflows to improve efficiency and ROI. Specialization: Her work primarily supports e-commerce brands looking to scale through data-driven advertising and performance creative. Strategy & Philosophy

Matt Prater - Executive Vice President of Innovation - OuterBox May 04, 2026

Show notes

Matt Prater is a veteran digital strategist and executive leader at OuterBox, where he currently serves as the EVP of Innovation. With a career deeply rooted in the evolution of search engine optimization (SEO) and paid media, Prater is responsible for driving the agency’s technological advancements and ensuring their service offerings stay ahead of industry shifts. Professional Impact at OuterBox Prater has been instrumental in OuterBox’s growth from a boutique firm to a nationally recognized powerhouse in the eCommerce space. His work focuses on: Innovation & AI: Leading the charge on integrating AI-driven tools and automation into digital marketing workflows to improve client ROI and operational efficiency.

Colin Jeavons - Founder & CEO - Nomix Group Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

Colin Jeavons is a seasoned British entrepreneur and digital media pioneer with over 30 years of experience in publishing, search technology, and e-commerce innovation. He is currently the Founder and CEO of Nomix Group, a venture studio that operates at the intersection of AI, performance media, and retail.

A self-described "product-first" leader, Jeavons began his career in the UK publishing industry at age 18. By 20, he was leading the Yellow Pages division at Guardian Communications. His career is marked by an early understanding of how search serves as a primary signal of consumer intent.

Nomix Group: Jeavons leads this holding company, which oversees subsidiaries like Shopnomix and Appnomix. The group focuses on creating "seamless digital commerce" by integrating AI-driven search into unconventional environments like apps and creator content.
NTENT (formerly Seekr): As Founder and CEO, he played a pivotal role in advancing semantic search technologies and machine learning long before they became mainstream buzzwords.
Vertical Search Works: He served as CEO and President, leading a reverse merger with Convera Corporation to scale vertical-specific search ad models that rivaled early versions of Google AdWords.
Parliamentary Communications: Earlier in his career, he was the CEO of Europe’s largest political communications group, where he launched ePolitix.com and transformed the organization into a digital powerhouse before its eventual sale.

Robert Davidman - World Series of Golf - CEO Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

Robert Davidman is a prominent media executive and entrepreneur based in New York City, best known as a co-founder and partner at Fearless Agency. He is frequently recognized for his early career success working alongside Mark Cuban at Broadcast.com, where he helped develop the internet broadcast business model before it was sold to Yahoo for nearly $6 billion in 1999.

Here is a breakdown of his career and current roles as of 2026:

Fearless Agency (Partner/Co-Founder): At this NoMad-based advertising and communications firm, he leads media strategy and digital business transformation. The agency is known for a "fearless" approach to marketing, working with clients like Hard Rock Café and various entertainment brands.
World Series of Golf (CEO): Beyond traditional advertising, Davidman serves as the CEO of this sports entertainment property.
fear-LS (Head of Operations & Business Development): He is a key leader in this joint venture between Fearless and LS Digital, which focuses on digital business transformation for global brands.
Entertainment & Media: He currently runs an entertainment company that develops movies and TV shows, serving as its COO.

The "Cuban" Connection: Davidman was the Director of International Broadcast Services for Yahoo! and a Senior Director at Broadcast.com. His work during the late 90s dot-com boom established him as an expert in transitioning traditional media to digital platforms.
Strategic Partnerships: He has a long history of bridging the gap between music, sports betting, and digital advertising. He was a key figure in creating Concrete.Fearless.Agency, a partnership specifically designed to handle media buying and planning for the music and movie industries.
Advocacy & Personal Journey: Davidman is open about his personal journey, often sharing his story of 20+ years of sobriety as a "Sober Founder." He often highlights how recovery has influenced his leadership style and resilience in the fast-paced NYC agency world.

He is often called upon as a speaker or panelist regarding sports betting marketing, digital media strategy, and brand bartering. He is known for the philosophy that agencies should be revenue-generating partners for their clients rather than just a line-item expense.

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