Merkle gets set for next phase of growth with three appointments

As part of its expansion in the Asia Pacific region and commitment to growth of its high performing New Zealand business, Merkle, dentsu’s customer experience company, is strengthening its leadership team with the appointment of three key roles.  

After four years leading the Merkle Aotearoa business, which rebranded from Davanti New Zealand in October 2022, CEO John Bessey has announced he will be moving on from his role and will leave the business on 31 March.  

Paul Whittaker will step into the role of Managing Director, Merkle Aotearoa; Gareth Reason will become Chief Digital Transformation Officer, Merkle Aotearoa; and Andrea Meredith will become Chief Experience and Delivery Officer, Merkle Aotearoa. Paul, Gareth and Andrea will join the expanding Merkle Australia and New Zealand executive leadership team. 

Collectively, the trio have nearly 40 years’ experience with the Merkle (formerly Davanti) business. All three have held several senior leadership roles in their tenure with the organisation, and bring a depth of experience and expertise in the New Zealand market.  

John Riccio, Merkle CEO APAC and ANZ, says: “I’d like to personally thank John for his inspiring leadership and collaboration in not only the continued success of the business but also overseeing the smooth launch of Merkle Aotearoa. I am excited to have Paul, Andrea and Gareth step up into these roles. Having these three long-term senior leaders join the A/NZ leadership team brings closer the Australia and New Zealand businesses and further sets us up to offer truly integrated capabilities and deliver amazing results for our clients, helping set us up for our strongest year of growth yet. It’s a really exciting time for Merkle Aotearoa and the Merkle business in Asia Pacific. 

Rob Harvey, dentsu Aotearoa CEO, says: “I would like to give my thanks to John for the great work he has done, and to extend my congratulations to Paul, Gareth, and Andrea on their well-deserved appointments. Paul, Gareth and Andrea’s combined wealth of talent and experience, amassed collectively over nearly four decades with Merkle (formerly Davanti), is testament to their capability and the trust and respect they hold within our business. I look forward to working with them more closely on the dentsu executive team and observing the significant impact they will continue to have not only within Merkle, but throughout dentsu Aotearoa as a whole.” 

Merkle Aotearoa is a dentsu company that specialises in customer experience and data driven consulting and cloud marketing technologies. Formerly Davanti, Merkle Aotearoa is the number 1 Salesforce partner in Aotearoa New Zealand, helping businesses stay ahead through their deep specialisms in connected experience, data and technology. Now, as a part of the Merkle whānau globally, the team have built a network with local experience, and global expertise.  

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