Dentsu hires John Riccio as its Merkle ANZ chief

Dentsu ANZ has announced the appointment of John Riccio as CEO of Merkle across Australia and New Zealand commencing in early 2022.

Riccio has spent most of the last two years as EYs Partner, Asia Pacific Digital and prior to that worked in other key digital roles at the consulting giant.

The company says his appointment aims to progress Dentsu’s commitment to accelerate growth and performance of its CX consulting, data, digital transformation and B2B services according to a Dentsu spokesperson.

Riccio will be responsible for leading the growth and evolution of Dentsu’s data-driven customer experience management company Merkle ANZ, as the company seeks to utilise emerging technology that supports sustainable growth.

“The last 18 months have seen significant changes for our clients and their customers. John’s experience navigating complex digital environments only enhances how we evolve further, faster, together,” says Dentsu ANZ CEO Angela Tangas.

“We are committed to providing our clients with increased lifetime value, innovative and integrated solutions, together with data-centric capability across all key technology platforms via strong partnerships.”

Prior to the announcement of his hiring at Dentsu, Riccio worked as a partner for EY and PwCs APC region, as well as UKs IBM.

Riccio’s hiring follows the departure of Erik Hallander who left Dentsu to pursue other opportunities.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for me to join a business that is forward-thinking, agile and focused on the client, customer and employee experience”, said Riccio.

“The transformational journey Dentsu has already embarked upon is amazing. Now is the time to get ready for the next chapter and I can’t wait to be a part of that journey.”