Essence Names Kyoko Matsushita As Next Global CEO

GLOBAL CHIEF CLIENT OFFICER AND APAC CEO TO SUCCEED GLOBAL CEO CHRISTIAN JUHL 

August 8, New York, NY: Essence, a global data and measurement-driven media agency and part of GroupM, today announced Kyoko Matsushita as the agency’s next Global Chief Executive Officer. Matsushita replaces current Global CEO Christian Juhl who will become Global CEO of GroupM on October 1st.

As Global CEO of Essence, Matsushita will work closely with the agency’s Global Management Team, including Global COO Steve Williams, Global CFO Tony Santabarbara, Global Chief Strategy Officer Damian Blackden, and Global Chief of Product Operations Rich Mooney to continue driving Essence’s client-centric innovation in data, analytics, and technology, business growth, and employee culture. Based out of San Francisco, she will continue to report to Christian Juhl.

Most recently, Matsushita served as Essence’s Global Chief Client Officer and CEO for Essence in APAC. She first joined Essence in 2014 to lead the agency’s expansion in APAC and was awarded the “CEO of the Year” Certificate of Excellence by Campaign Magazine for her success, including driving the fastest regional growth inside the Essence network and the establishment of Essence offices in Bengaluru, Delhi, Jakarta, Melbourne, Mumbai, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo. With more than two decades’ experience overseeing media, marketing, business development and operations for companies including Electronic Arts and Sony as well as Essence, Matsushita has lived, studied, and worked in North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe.

“Kyoko’s deep relationships with our clients, her knowledge of our culture, and her vision for the future make her the perfect person to lead Essence into its next era of growth and innovation,” said Christian Juhl, Global CEO of Essence. “I am looking forward to working closely with her in my new role at GroupM.”

“I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to lead this truly exceptional agency at a time when data and technology give us so much potential to unlock value for our clients,” said Matsushita. “Essence was founded to lead the industry in creating trustworthy, relevant, and valuable advertising. I couldn’t be more excited to see what we can accomplish when we combine this mission with our clients’ ambition and the power of data science and big ideas.”