WFA launches Global Media Board

From left to right. Top row: Bea Lindvall, Danone; Belinda Smith, Electronic Arts; Ben Jankowski, Mastercard; Gerhard Louw, Deutsche Telekom; Gerry D'Angelo, P&G. Second row: Greg Kukolj, Booking.com; Isabel Massey, Diageo; Jerry Daykin, GSK; Luis Di Como, Unilever; Oliver Maletz, Volkswagen. Third row: Rob Rakowitz, Global Alliance for Responsible Media (ex-Mars); Sarah Armitage, LVMH; Simon Peel, adidas; Sital Banerjee, Philips; Tina Beuchler, Nestlé.

WFA has announced major changes to its structure in order to encourage the adoption of the measures set out by its Global Media Charter.

First, it has appointed Gerry D’Angelo, Global Media Director at P&G to become co-chair of WFA’s Media Forum, a community of client-side global media directors within WFA’s membership, working alongside Ben Jankowski, SVP Global Media at Mastercard.

Second, it has established a Global Media Board to work alongside Gerry and Ben, providing another opportunity for clients to share their experiences of implementing the measures outlined in the WFA Media Charter.

Members of the Global Media Board represent companies spending in excess of $45 billion on communications each year collectively, and have the power to drive change through the media ecosystem.

“I’m honoured to be invited to serve as the co-chair of WFA’s Media Forum at this critical time for the industry. Advertisers can no longer relinquish control of media, data and algorithms. Together, we’re transforming the media industry, taking back control to lead mass disruption through active participation in industry bodies such as WFA, and promoting measures as set out by the Global Media Charter,” said Gerry D’Angelo.

Gerry D’Angelo is a veteran of the media world. He is currently Global Media Director at P&G, the world’s largest advertiser, with responsibility for P&G’s significant investment in media, managing relationships with key external agencies and partners and driving best practice across all its businesses and regions. Before P&G, Gerry held client-side media roles at Mondelez and Samsung as well as having worked media owner side at Sky and agency-side at Starcom and Leo Burnett.

The WFA Global Media Charter, published earlier this year, sets out the key issues facing advertisers in digital media today and demands change in eight areas including ad fraud, viewability, brand safety and transparency.

“The charter is not a magic solution to the challenges of the digital media space. It asks for change but it’s just a starting point. It lists the needs of the media investors who fund this ecosystem and makes clear that things cannot go on as they are,” said Matt Green, Global Media Lead, WFA. “P&G are taking a clear leadership stance on many of the issues identified in the Media Charter and it makes perfect sense for Gerry to take on a role within the only global network of client-side media directors, helping us to resolve a number of industry issues.”

The Global Media Board will help WFA realise the change called for in the WFA Global Media Charter, provide members with a closed environment to openly share media-related ideas and experiences with their peers as well as set the direction for WFA’s global media strategy.

Today, the board brings together:

• Bea Lindvall, Global Head of Media, Danone

• Belinda Smith, Global Head of Media, Electronic Arts

• Ben Jankowski, SVP Global Media, Mastercard

• Gerhard Louw, Head of International Media Management, Deutsche Telekom

• Gerry D’Angelo, Global Media Director, P&G

• Greg Kukolj, Global Media & Precision Marketing Director, Booking.com

• Isabel Massey, Global Media & Digital Director, Diageo

• Jerry Daykin, EMEA Media Director, GSK

• Luis Di Como, SVP Global Media, Unilever

• Oliver Maletz, Head of International Communication and Media Planning, Volkswagen

• Rob Rakowitz, WFA Initiative Lead - Global Alliance for Responsible Media and former Head of Global Media, Mars

• Sarah Armitage, Group International Media Director, LVMH

• Simon Peel, Global Media Director, adidas

• Sital Banerjee, Global Head of Media, Philips

• Tina Beuchler, Global Head of Media & Agency Operations, Nestlé

“The WFA Global Media Board is about change and is about growth. We recognize the need to give the Media Charter more practical application and that’s what we’re seeking to do with the Board. And by addressing these and other issues, which are global in nature and require a global approach, we intend to provide an environment for more effective marketing for all clients, ultimately leading to better outcomes,” said Stephan Loerke, CEO, WFA.