Stagwell Marketing Cloud announced the appointment of former Microsoft VP and Chief Data Analytics Officer John Kahan, and Stagwell’s Code and Theory Network Executive Chairman Dan Gardner, to the newly created Stagwell Marketing Cloud (SMC) Advisory Council. The two will deliver ongoing advice on the SMC vision, product roadmap, and go-to-market strategy.

“Stagwell Marketing Cloud is a key component of Stagwell’s approach to transforming marketing through impactful technology. As we further invest in SMC, we look forward to leveraging John and Dan’s subject matter expertise,” said Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO of Stagwell. “Both have storied track records of identifying and building solutions on the frontiers of data and digital transformation we believe will help accelerate this engine.”

“When Mark and the Stagwell Marketing Cloud team approached me about joining the advisory council, I was thrilled: SMC is building an impressive set of solutions to marketers’ biggest consumer data needs,” said Kahan. “I look forward to offering guidance to SMC and its product teams as they work to transform the power of data, insights, and analytics for modern marketers.”

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“The Stagwell Marketing Cloud is a key component of the larger technological transformation services our network can provide brand partners,” said Gardner. “I look forward to providing counsel to complement the solutions we are building at Code and Theory that help future-proof businesses to navigate complex, interconnected ecosystems through innovative tech.”

Kahan is a seasoned board member with 30+ years of experience serving on both for-profit and non-profit boards as a proven data-driven leader, with nearly four decades of data, science, global business, and technology transformation experience across Microsoft and IBM. In 2021, John was named by DatatechVibe as one of the top 15 global data professionals, transforming and redefining business and the industry.

John currently sits on the board of U.S. Venture, a privately held multi-billion-dollar distributor of petroleum and renewable energy products. He also serves as an advisor to the CEO and Board of Domino Data Lab, the leading Enterprise MLOps platform trusted by over 20% of the Fortune 100. John also sits on the board Novartis Foundation where he advises on the use of AI to help drive improvements in cardiovascular disease in low-income areas and is the Chairman of the Board, and President of the Aaron Matthew SIDS Research Foundation of Seattle Children’s (named after his son who died of SIDS in 2003).

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At Microsoft, John worked with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team on the data and strategies that helped transform Microsoft into a $2T+ company. In his last role, reporting directly to the president of Microsoft, he was responsible for infusing data science and AI to address some of the world’s most significant challenges, including pandemic responses, sustainable transformation, worldwide human rights, and more.

Dan Gardner, executive chairman of Code and Theory, boasts over two decades of experience designing cross-platform products and brand experiences for clients worldwide. Gardner has led Code and Theory to become one of the largest digital-first creative agencies since founding the company in 2001. From pioneering the modern digital landscape with 150+ major media launches for publishers such as Bloomberg, Vogue, and the LA Times, to rebranding the NFL team, the Washington Commanders, to defining a new standard for how brands like Maybelline NY and Burger King communicate their stories, and reimagining the digital space between government and citizenry through sites like NY.gov, Dan has radically redrawn the map of challenges a creative agency can confront in today’s digital world. In addition to overseeing Code and Theory and its subsidiaries, Dan Gardner is an active investor across the media and technology landscape. He is the co-founder of ON_Discourse, a member-driven omnichannel media company run by business experts focused on the business of technology.