GroupM, WPP’s media investment group, today announces Brendan Moorcroft as CEO of Choreograph, WPP’s global data products and technology company operated by GroupM, effective August 9, as Kirk McDonald returns his full focus to CEO of GroupM North America. McDonald will transition the role through 2021.

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Based in New York, Moorcroft reports to Christian Juhl, GroupM Global CEO, and joins the Global Leadership Team (GLT). He will be responsible for the strategy and operations of Choreograph, which was created to help clients realize the value of their first-party data, consult on and implement their data and technology strategies, and advise on privacy-first approaches.

“The accelerated success of and demand for Choreograph as a result of Kirk and its leadership has expedited our need for a dedicated business leader,” said Christian Juhl, GroupM Global CEO. “Brendan is an extraordinary talent who brings a wealth of experience with him to Choreograph and our clients, including founding and leading organizations like \UNBOUND\ and Cadreon. This makes him an ideal fit to navigate the business through this exciting time in Choreograph’s growth.”

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Considered one of the pioneers of programmatic media and data-enabled digital services, Moorcroft has extensive experience in the data and technology space. This includes co-founding \UNBOUND\, the first independent strategic advisory firm that served and helped Fortune 500 companies leverage data as an asset to accelerate growth and transform their businesses, and Cadreon, IPG’s first agency trading company that was among the earliest pioneers of what’s now referred to as the programmatic media industry.

“Brands have an amazing opportunity to leverage their own first-party data to make advertising more relevant and effective while respecting the privacy of the consumer,” said Moorcroft. “The chance to come to Choreograph and GroupM and help some of the world’s leading brands achieve this at this moment of inflection in our industry is the kind of opportunity I could not pass up.”

Most recent, Moorcroft was the Head of Solutions and Services at Hearst, a division he created by combining the company’s first-party data ecosystem with its content and digital services. Prior to Hearst, he held roles with IPG, Omnicom, MediaCom and Grey, among others.

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