Firm Continues Rapid Growth in Region

Strategic advisory firm MediaLink, a UTA company, announced it has made two key hires in Europe. Karl Weaver, an industry leader in building businesses across marketing, joins as Senior Vice President, Advisory, and Claire Charruau, a seasoned global executive in marketing and communications in the creative sector, joins as Vice President of Marketing, EMEA. Weaver, who will become a part of MediaLink’s senior leadership team, will be focused on marketing transformation for the firm’s global brand clients in the region, while Charruau will focus on European marketing efforts for the MediaLink brand. Both hires will be based in London and will report directly to Managing Director, EMEA & Global Talent Advisory Kathleen Saxton.

“MediaLink has always been at the very forefront of predicting what’s next in marketing and acting on it – the culture has a palpable energy, and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

The hires come on the heels of significant growth in Europe for MediaLink. The firm has more than tripled its headcount in the region since September 2020, when Saxton joined to lead its operations there.

“Karl is a prolific business builder, who has had a truly transformational impact on many areas of the marketing sector over the last 25 years,” said Saxton. “He’s long had a vision for how to effectively evolve marketing to meet modern consumers where they are on a grand scale, and it’s also why he’s had the ear of those at the board level. That perspective will be invaluable to our clients seeking to future-proof their businesses. Additionally, I’m thrilled to welcome Claire to the team to lead our marketing efforts in Europe. She has a proven track record of building impactful marketing programs, across the EMEA region, at pivotal moments – a current reality for our rapidly growing business.”

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Weaver has spent more than two decades building marketing businesses across three of the biggest holding companies. Prior to MediaLink, he was CEO of Publicis UK’s data operations, where he integrated the Epsilon business. Earlier, he ​​helped establish and grow Data2Decisions, leading to a sale to Dentsu in 2012. In 2016, he became Chief Growth Officer for Dentsu and Chair of Vizeum. In 2017, he was appointed CEO of Isobar’s UK operations (including offshoring capabilities in Bulgaria and India), leading a team of 500+ digital transformation experts. Weaver has co-authored several award-winning papers, including an IPA Effectiveness Grand Prix, and is a frequent juror for organisations like Cannes Lions and IPA.

“Having spent my career dedicated to building transformative businesses, I was thrilled at the opportunity to advise companies in every corner of the media and marketing ecosystem at one of the greatest moments of disruption in our industry’s history,” said Weaver. “MediaLink has always been at the very forefront of predicting what’s next in marketing and acting on it – the culture has a palpable energy, and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

Charruau comes to MediaLink, hailing from VMLY&R, where she was Marketing Director UK & EMEA. She has over a decade of global experience in change management, cause-related marketing, thought leadership, crisis communications and media relations in the creative industry. She has worked with some of the world’s most iconic brands, and her work has been credited with 18 Cannes Lions. Prior to her time at VMLY&R, Charruau was Director of Communications at JWT New York, where she worked with the Geena Davis Institute and Cannes Lions to conduct landmark research into representation in advertising. She also held positions in marketing and communications at JWT London, TLC Marketing, and Reed Business Information, among others. She has been an active member of the IPA New Business & Marketing group, Bloom UK and Lean In.

“MediaLink is a unique global strategic advisory firm which I’ve always admired, and I am so excited to help build the brand and business in EMEA. I’m also so looking forward to joining the fantastic team Kathleen has assembled.”

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