Eileen Kiernan

Agency: IPG Mediabrands

United States

Eileen - the only female global CEO steering a media holding company - spent H2 2022 laying a strategy that brought the tech prowess of KINESSO and Matterkind (previously within IPG) together with Reprise, forming a supercharged performance unit under the KINESSO banner. The approach was pressure tested in Q1 inspiring how IPG Mediabrands went to market, and instantly proving its value by securing the business of GEICO, the largest U.S. media pitch of the year at $1.4B in spend, followed by the $430M business in Bristol Myers-Squibb. Q1 also marked agency Mediahub’s move under the IPG Mediabrands umbrella, along with its impressive client roster including the NBA, Celebrity Cruises, and Ulta Beauty. It's this approach of Kiernan’s – quietly securing proof of concept before talking about it – that builds trust among employees and clients that sets her apart from her industry peers. This was all done while developing and nurturing an 18,000+ headcount global organization that grew by 22% YoY. And, her leadership continued to benefit the entire network from a new business perspective. Across the network, our agencies secured 250+ global new business wins, contributing to 14% YoY growth.