As Global CEO of Merkle, Michael leads dentsu’s Customer Experience Management (CXM) Service Line, which encompasses the organization’s many capabilities and solutions in the areas of CX transformation, technology consulting, customer strategy, digital experience, commerce, CRM/loyalty, cloud solutions, data management, data solutions, and data science (AI/ML). He is responsible for more than $1.7 billion in annual (2022) revenue and oversees a staff of more than 16,000 employees in 30+ countries throughout the Americas, EMEA, and APAC.
Michael previously served as President of Merkle Americas and leader of the dentsu CXM Service Line in the Americas, overseeing all aspects of Merkle’s Americas regional operation, including sales, account management, solutions, services, and marketing. He was responsible for driving the P&L for Merkle Americas, representing more than 70% of the company’s global revenue and employee base. He led the team of more than 7,000 people charged with the core goal of delivering exceptional value for clients across the full spectrum of CXM competencies, including performance media, enterprise technology, CRM, data & analytics, digital & user experience, performance creative, loyalty & promotion, and customer strategy. Additionally, Michael spearheaded the acquisition of LiveArea, a global customer experience and commerce agency.
Prior to the Americas role, Michael served as President of Merkle’s Europe, Middle East, and Africa region (EMEA), leading a business of more than $400 million in annual revenue and a team of 3,500 employees in more than 30 offices in fifteen markets. During his four years leading the EMEA business, it experienced 5x growth and is now considered an industry leader in the core offerings of performance media, CRM, analytics, customer experience, and marketing technology. Merkle is currently eConsultancy’s fifth-largest full-service and marketing services provider and ninth-largest digital agency and was a finalist in Campaign’s Agency of the Year standings. Merkle EMEA has been recognized by The Drum, Forrester, and partners such as Adobe, Google, Salesforce, Pega, and Amazon Web Services.
Michael led the acquisition of several industry leading businesses, including DWA, Aquila Insight, Divisadero, Oxyma, and Namics. He was recognized as one of Data IQ’s top 100 most influential people in data. He shares his expertise and point of view via features in industry publications, including Forbes, and as a panelist and speaker at industry and client events.
Michael joined Merkle in 2015 as the Chief Operating Officer of Agency Services and moved to London in late 2016 to begin his transition into the regional leadership role. Prior to Merkle, Michael held leadership roles at Razorfish, Schawk Retail Marketing, The Nielsen Company, and A.T. Kearney. He holds a bachelor of science from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business
