Aliah Berman is taking on the role following the departure of Doug Melville, who has served as the Omnicom-owned agency network’s chief diversity officer since 2012. He’s leaving for a role outside of the advertising industry, according to a person familiar with the move.

Berman joins from GMR Marketing, a global experiential agency within the TBWA collective, where she served as head of DEI for the past year. She will continue to lead DEI efforts for GMR Marketing as chief diversity officer of TBWA.

Troy Ruhanen, CEO of TBWA, said in a statement that the agency network is “grateful to Doug for his contributions” over the past eight years. TBWA’s website says that Melville’s supplier diversity efforts have resulted in more than $250 million in spend with businesses owned by women and people of color.

“Doug was one of the first chief diversity officers on Madison Avenue and has been a public advocate and champion of the importance of DE&I,” Ruhanen continued. “His work on supplier diversity has created positive economic impact for many and our supplier diversity platform One Sandbox will live on as his legacy.”

Melville found himself on the defense earlier this year when a Black History Month campaign he spearheaded for Barnes & Noble featuring classic book covers such as Frankenstein reimagined with Black protagonists faced criticism for not elevating authors of color instead. TBWA apologized, and Melville took to LinkedIn to discuss the rationale behind the concept, explaining that it was intended to encourage kids of color to read more and highlight the lack of diversity in the publishing industry.

Berman takes over from Melville at a time when agencies are increasingly investing in DEI. Many began to ramp up their efforts in this space following the Black Lives Matter protests that broke out in May after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Organizations such as 600 & Rising and In for 13 have formed in the months since to advocate for Black professionals in the industry and help agencies diversify their leadership ranks.

Like most of advertising’s holding companies, Omnicom released its U.S. workforce diversity data this summer as part of a broader plan to “reach systemic equity” across the organization. Part of the plan involves hiring diversity directors for each agency and practice area within Omnicom.

As chief diversity officer of TBWA North America, Berman will be tasked with leading DEI efforts across the collective, which encompasses agencies including Designory, Juniper Park and Media Arts Lab. TBWA said each of its agencies in North America are hiring DEI leaders to work with Berman.

At GMR Marketing, Berman built a diversity recruitment strategy and DEI councils and committees, according to TBWA. Throughout her career, she has held a number of different roles, many of which were outside of the advertising industry. She is an attorney by trade.

“The work of diversity, equity and inclusion has never been more urgent,” Berman said in a statement. “The opportunity to work across this broader group of agencies to promote measurement and accountability and to serve as the subject matter expert with our leaders around the world is an opportunity I could not refuse.”

Long an advocate of change in the industry, her perspective and point of view is strong. Combine that with an impressive, 15-year body of work in various agencies and brands, and it’s clear that Rahaman, based in Detroit, is a unique, authentic and powerful voice.

To that end, Huge Midwest—with offices in Chicago and Detroit—tapped Rahaman as its vp of brand strategy. The move is part of a recent, wider hiring and promotions spree that sees Brian Donovan in the group vp strategy role in the same offices as Rahaman, and several other additions to Huge’s Brooklyn operations.

Blake Whirt joined as managing director of client services for Google, while Holden Bale was elevated to group vp of technology and Irina Lee moved into a group creative director role.

In a statement, Raj Singhal, Huge’s global chief operating officer, said, “Making things people love is what we stand by now more than ever, and we look forward to the continued success of our amazing team and pushing our work to new heights in this day and age.”

Adweek caught up with Rahaman to find out why she came back to the agency world under the lens of the state of diversity, equality and inclusion in the industry and more.

Adweek: Why did you return?
Deadra Rahaman: I was hired to work on a research project (for an agency) last year and realized that I missed it. I wasn’t really looking for a job, but Ranae (Heuer, president of Huge Midwest) and I have stayed in touch.

You probably had several opportunities with your experience and profile. Why did you choose Huge?
Huge connected with me before everything around social justice hit—Ranae and I were in touch long before that. I didn’t feel like they were reaching out because of the open letter to the industry this summer. There was comfort in knowing that I’m not just going to become a token hire. And I didn’t want to walk into a situation where I was the only (person of color) again. I’m tired of being the only one in the room. Being a unicorn is cool, but the appeal is the diverse teams at Huge Midwest and globally.

Some agencies are doing ok with moving forward on DEI. Others are not. What can other agencies learn from Huge?
It’s reflected at the top. [Huge COO and CFO Raj Singhal] is a person of color. That’s something that you don’t see at other agencies. I’m not seeing Black women in the C-suite. We’re more than just D&I leads. We can be CEOs, CMOs and chief strategy officers. I mentor young professionals, and they don’t see themselves in leadership. There has to be someone at the top with intention and mindfulness and not a CEO sitting there waiting on a task force to tell them what to do. I give Ranae a lot of credit. 48% of new hires are BIPOC. There’s so much gratification, looking on a screen and seeing my team being Asian American, Latinx and African American. That’s awesome. I usually don’t have that.

How do you envision this role—and marketing—evolving?
I see bringing human truth to the table. We have 16-year-olds who will be voting in 2024 and are multicultural. We’re telling brands what we want from them. Also, I think data is beautiful but needs to be brought to life and relevant, with context. So I see this heading into an area where we message personally and in culture. Culture is not a spectator sport. Brands and agencies can’t sit on the sidelines.

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Before she was named acting president in July, she had been executive vice president and chief financial officer. Chirichella joined the company in 2011.

“She has expertly led the division over the past several months, and we are confident in the future as Debi and her team continue to build on the legacy of our great brands around the world,” said Hearst president and CEO Steven Swartz.

Chirichella will be tasked with continuing to grow the media company’s subscription business after the publisher released a metered paywall and invested in diversifying its revenue strategies, such as adding events and branded products.

“This is an important moment in our culture and in our industry, and I am honored to lead our remarkable teams at this time of transformation,” Chirichella said.

Her promotion comes as the company looks to move beyond allegations levied against former president Troy Young, who resigned in July. Former staffers accused Young of inappropriate workplace behavior.

Young’s fall from the top came after he was widely praised for his efforts to digitally transform the 133-year-old publisher of magazines including Cosmopolitan, Elle, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, Car & Driver and Road & Track. In fact, Adweek named Young its Magazine Executive of the Year in 2015.

Chirichella is already leaving her mark. In September, she announced the launch of Premium Print, an initiative that includes a multimillion-dollar investment to enhance quality across its 25 publications. This includes using better paper and adding up to 10% more editorial pages for some brands and larger trim sizes for others.

Alex Hesz is taking on the role of global chief strategy officer. Hesz previously led strategy for both the network’s EMEA region and London-based creative agency adam&eveDDB. He will continue to serve as adam&eveDDB’s group chief strategy officer in his new role.

Meanwhile, Roisin “Ro” Rooney is becoming global chief people officer of DDB. She formerly held the chief people officer role for DDB’s EMEA region.

Their appointments are the latest in a string of leadership changes at the Omnicom-owned agency network, which has 200 offices around the world.

Over the summer, DDB promoted Marty O’Halloran to global CEO, a role he took on following a 15-year run as chairman and CEO of the network’s Australia and New Zealand offices. Additionally, Justin Thomas-Copeland became CEO of the network’s North America region. Thomas-Copeland previously served as global CEO of OPMG Health, a division of Omnicom Precision Marketing Group.

Both took over roles held by Wendy Clark, who left DDB earlier this year to lead Dentsu International. Last year, Clark promoted Ari Weiss to global chief creative officer of DDB. He formerly served as chief creative officer for DDB North America.

According to DDB, Hesz and Rooney, who are both based in London, will remain there for the time being. “If Covid has taught us anything, it’s that teams can connect from anywhere,” O’Halloran said. “There is no plan for either of them to move, although they will be in our offices across the world when we can travel again.”

Hesz has been with adam&eveDDB for nearly 10 years in various roles. He’s worked with clients including Lloyds Banking Group, BlackRock, Booking.com, Virgin Media, Beam Suntory, Mars and Unilever.

Rooney has held several roles at DDB over the past 20 years. As global chief people officer, she will be tasked with leading recruitment, retention, leadership development and training at DDB.

“I am thrilled to elevate our current leaders from within the network into these roles,” O’Halloran said in a statement. “Things are changing rapidly, and we’re moving at pace to stay ahead. Alex brings an incredible track record from adam&eveDDB, an agency known for its legendary work and clients. Ro’s experience in EMEA with growing the network, fostering our talent and creating culture will ensure we are helping our people through this challenging time and into the future.”

As to why DDB is focused on expanding its global team with new roles, O’Halloran said in a statement to Adweek, “We’re a global organization and I’m rewarding, recognizing and elevating the best talent we have to lead the next stage of our growth.”

DDB works with clients including Volkswagen and the U.S. Army. The agency has recently lost business from brands including McDonald’s and Capital One.

Parkes has been leading marketing for networks like CMT, MTV and VH1 since 2016, and was upped to oversee marketing for additional cable properties like Comedy Central, Paramount Network and TV Land following the 2019 ViacomCBS merger.

In a note to staff today, Parkes said the decision was a personal one, driven in part by life changes borne out of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

“Over the last few months, I’ve been speaking to Chris about finding the right time to transition out of my role for two reasons: the first being the transformational work we have done together over the last five years is near complete,” Parkes wrote.

“The second is that we are all living through a unique moment in time—and for me, that means my whole family is living under one roof again,” she continued. “It’s because of these two reasons that I want to take this time to spend with my family and to assess what the next challenge is for me to take on.”

She will remain at the company through the end of the year as ViacomCBS Entertainment and Youth Brands president Chris McCarthy looks for her successor. According to company sources, McCarthy is close to finding her replacement but has not yet made an announcement; an interim reporting structure is set to be rolled out in the coming weeks before a new CMO joins the team.

Parkes’ five-year tenure was marked by a number of marketing wins, including #AloneTogether, a PSA campaign encouraging social distancing and remaining safe during the early days of Covid-19. An overarching campaign for Comedy Central’s Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens won Adweek’s 2020 Media Plan of the Year. This fall, the company rolled out a mass voter registration PSA campaign, “Vote for Your Life,” across the entertainment and youth brands. As part of the initiative, MTV paid for printing and mailing ballot initiatives.

Before joining the company, Parkes spent two decades as the chief marketing officer of Major League Baseball.

The departure comes as ViacomCBS continues to settle into organizational changes that better center its streaming ambitions. An October restructure on the streaming side, though, did not affect cable networks.

Shim will be replaced by Gary Little, managing director and head of technology at global merchant bank The Raine Group and a Foursquare board member. In a Medium post explaining his decision, Shim said he is leaving to return to his “entrepreneurial roots.”

Before joining Foursquare in June 2019 as president, Shim was CEO of Placed, a location data provider that he founded in 2011. The company, which served as the main competitor to Foursquare’s Attribution product, allows brands to track the foot traffic generated by a digital campaign or ad.

Snap acquired Placed in 2017, and it changed hands again in 2019 when Foursquare bought the company. Shim said in his Medium post that he’s rounding out a decade in the location services industry to seek new entrepreneurial opportunities.

“Even in the midst of major economic impact, Foursquare not only survived but thrived, closing in on consecutive profitable quarters,” said Shim in a statement. “There is never a perfect time to step down as CEO, but with the momentum that we’ve seen in the last year along with a best-in-industry team in place, I felt the timing was right for me to step down, take a short break, and pursue new entrepreneurial opportunities.”

Little will take the reins at Foursquare in 2021 after joining the company’s board in June 2019. In his role at The Raine Group, Little was involved with Foursquare’s acquisition of Placed and served as lead investor of Foursquare’s fundraising round last year, which brought the company $150 million. He was also a key participant in Foursquare’s merger with Factual, another location data company, which was announced in April.

Noting that “the potential of location technology and data is massive,” Little said in a statement that he sees Foursquare as “the single location currency for any company’s tech or data stack.”

Prior to his role at The Raine Group, Little helped found London-based private equity firm Buckthorn Partners LLP, which specializes in growth capital investments and acquisitions in the oil field service sector. Before that, he spent several years advising financial sponsors at Credit Suisse, Lazard and UBS on a range of M&A, capital market and strategic advisory assignments. For the first six years of his career, Little worked as an operator in the internet sector, most recently as a senior member of the Media Group at Yahoo.

Instead of creating ads about mosquito prevention in the slums of Bangkok, the agency created “Nano Shoes” that covered mosquitoes’ feet in larvicide, turning the pests into their own exterminators. Instead of creating billboards about motorcycle safety, BBDO Bangkok created a smart helmet that could automatically report a crash even if the rider was unconscious.

At the helm of all this creativity has been Suthisak Sucharittanonta, a 22-year veteran of the agency and its globally respected creative chairman. He has won many of the creative world’s top accolades, including being named one of only 10 global talents on Adweek’s 2017 Creative 100. But recently, Sucharittanonta announced he will be retiring from the agency world to focus on being a director, photographer and solo creator.

As part of the transition, he directed the agency’s newest short film, “Giving Life” for the Ramathibodi Foundation, an organization that provides healthcare and services for the underprivileged. You can check out the touching film, based on a true story, followed by Adweek’s conversation with Sucharittanonta about the lessons he learned from three decades working in advertising.

Adweek: What made you decide to step away from agency life?
Suthisak Sucharittanonta, creative chairman, BBDO Bangkok: It wasn’t an easy decision, but after three decades in the advertising industry building and promoting brands and products, I thought it was time for a change. Now, I have a goal of giving back by using my experience, passions and skills to promote and encourage the betterment of society for the greater good through two things I love and enjoy doing most: photography and film directing.

Under your leadership, BBDO Bangkok has been a leader in creating not just campaigns, but truly ambitious inventions and innovations. What are some you’re most proud of?
Over the years, there have been so many great ideas, some of which we were lucky enough to be able to bring to life thanks to some supportive clients. Two projects that come to mind are:

“AbsorbPlate” for the Thai Health Promotion Foundation. The plate was designed to help Thais eat healthier and it features hundreds of tiny holes inspired by the texture of sponge, making “AbsorbPlate” able to separate excess oil from food before people eat it.

“Predict To Prevent” for Samsung. This was an innovative predictive text function that recommends the right mix of words to use when texting with someone who is suffering from depression.

There’s always a lot of skepticism when agencies create ambitious inventions. Some people say it’s just for awards or PR and can’t ever be produced at scale. How would you defend inventing big ideas?
Creatives create. That’s what we do. And I’m not just talking about the art directors and copywriters; anyone can be creative. And now, more than ever, it is important that everyone in the agency is creative and pushing big ideas—whether strategic or creative. From the planners to client service to the creative departments, big ideas, new ideas, crazy ideas are the ones that break the barrier of conformity that is constantly being put up for brands and agencies alike. 

You’ve often talked about what makes Thailand such a unique market, even within Asia. What are the biggest challenges that marketers face in Thailand?
Thailand’s unique culture, way of life and people really endear us to the rest of the world… our delicious food and beautiful beaches don’t hurt either. But there are some real challenges that need to be considered and thoughtfully addressed. Like the rest of the world, we are all being affected by Covid-19. Luckily, in terms of health, our country has implemented and abided by some strict measures to help shield us from the pandemic. Financially though, many industries and individuals are suffering. Aside from that, our volatile local politics are constantly pulling us back as we try to move forward.

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Taylor will serve as part of GroupM’s investment team with a primary focus on designing and implementing its partnership strategy, particularly with Google. A GroupM veteran of over six years, Taylor formerly served as global vp of social for GroupM’s services division.

“We have reason to believe that programmatic access, digital delivery, the explosion of choice for leisure time, headless commerce and mobile access are here to stay. Covid is accelerating some of these trends, and the key global partners offer strong products, services, and scale to capitalize on the continuation of these behavioral shifts,” Taylor told Adweek.

As global head of social, Grant will serve as part of GroupM’s services division. A 10-year GroupM vet, including a stint as paid social practice lead at GroupM agency MediaCom, Grant most recently established the social operations framework for GroupM as head of social for the region, based out of Singapore.

Grant explained that the impact of Covid-19 led people to spend more time on social channels, expanded how they approached shopping for household necessities, and altered definitions of “entertainment and luxury purchases” under social distancing mandates.

“While there was already a shift in place globally … social platforms, given their scale and user engagement, definitely accelerated the rate of adoption and interest around ecommerce. What we have found is that, while market recovery has been recognized, the behaviors learned during 2020 for consumers has staying power coupled with the ease of convenience and instant gratification,” she said. “While there are some consumers that will shift back to their typical behaviors, new behaviors have been learned and perhaps now preferred.”

Taylor said the two roles were well-positioned for longevity under GroupM’s “one voice” approach, while noting that the kinds of opportunities GroupM prioritizes will evolve with changing client needs.

“Social is already an evolving discipline,” Grant added. “While we are inherently adaptive, we see the convergence through advancing tactics like commerce where media, experiential engagement and AI can meet together to satisfy the demands of advertisers and users. Our planning and activation principles will evolve to meet the needs of the market.”

Like the rest of the industry, WPP’s media agency practice has seen its share of setbacks in 2020, including a round of layoffs at GroupM in May as part of the holding company’s cost-cutting strategy. In WPP’s Q3 earnings report last week, the holding company noted that GroupM showed the strongest recovery among its integrated agencies in the quarter.

WPP CEO Mark Read also cited WPP’s place at the top of new business rankings, with GroupM playing an instrumental role in its new business performance, including Uber’s consolidation of its global media account with MediaCom and WPP’s recent retention of global media agency duties for Walgreens Boots Alliance.

Replacing her in the role of managing director and partner is Katie Longmyer, who comes to Mother New York with an eclectic background and an eagerness to shake things up at the independent agency, whose clients include Dave & Buster’s and Tripadvisor.

“I have a little bit of a ‘let’s break the rules’ attitude, which Mother also does, but I think I maybe break them a little bit more and can turbocharge that vibe,” Longmyer said. “That’s the fun part. I don’t want to do what anyone before me did.”

Unlike most executives in the advertising industry, Longmyer hasn’t spent the majority of her career climbing the ranks at various agencies. She started out as a club promoter, something she said was “ongoing” for quite some time, although not so much recently.

“It’s easier when you’re younger; you can go out all night and work all day. It’s not the same anymore,” she said.

Longmyer landed at Warner Records after college, rising from a field marketing representative to brand partnerships manager. “I was in nightclubs every night during that time,” Longmyer said.

She eventually left the music industry and opened up an outdoor venue in Gowanus, Brooklyn that catered to residents of the neighborhood. According to Longmyer, it was a weekends-only, all-ages spot that hosted barbecues, dog parties and other events.

“That was my first foray completely into entrepreneurship, owning my own business and running it,” she said. “I loved it.”

Since then, Longmyer’s career has been a mix of entrepreneurial pursuits and corporate gigs. In 2014, The New York Times profiled Longmyer and her knack for connecting artists with brands in a way that’s beneficial for both parties involved.

“Katie’s like a translator,” Jasmine Solono, a DJ who worked with Longmyer at the time, told the Times. “She can translate artist language into corporate planning. That’s not easy to do.”

Shortly afterwards, Longmyer joined Translation, the agency founded by Steve Stoute. Longmyer built and led the shop’s experiential practice. After leaving Translation, she met Miguel McKelvey, the co-founder of WeWork. She was hired as his chief of staff last year, an opportunity that she said led to the “wildest year” of her life.

“I joke that I probably got three MBAs last year,” she said.

She described her role at the company as McKelvey’s strategic thought partner. “I sat with him in all of his meetings and discussed ideas with him,” Longmyer explained. McKelvey ultimately left WeWork in June after its failed IPO and the resignation of its CEO and co-founder Adam Neumann.

Longmyer recently co-founded 99 Problems, a political action committee encouraging young people to vote.

“I have some themes in my career that have stayed consistent, but I think that allowed me to move around through different industries as a result,” Longmyer said. “Celebrating creativity, independence and community are the things you’ll find in every single aspect of my career.”

At Mother New York, Longmyer will report to the agency’s U.S. CEO and partner Peter Ravailhe. She will officially begin the role on Nov. 9. At the agency, she hopes to focus on widening the pipelines of access for job candidates.

“Creativity is endless, and the way people think is so unique,” she said. “When you widen the aperture of what you’re looking at as far as talent, you have more diverse voices at the table. Sometimes the resolution takes a little longer to get to, but it’s usually much more innovative and interesting.”

“It felt intuitively like the organic next step for our respective agencies to go this way,” Deutsch New York CEO Val DiFebo told Adweek.

The move makes official an evolution that was already in place operationally. The groundwork was laid when Deutsch North America CEO Mike Sheldon left at the end of 2019, with DiFebo and Deutsch L.A. CEO Kim Getty leading their individual offices without broader oversight.

Officially splitting off into separate agencies allows each to pursue clients independently without concerns about the appearance of conflict of interest while leaning into individual strengths and cultures.

In a statement, IPG COO Philippe Krakowsky, who is succeeding Michael Roth as CEO in 2021, cited the “dynamic and independent leadership” of both offices.

“Kim has built on the Steelhead production capability on the West Coast, as well as further pivoting the agency into entertainment, tech and culture. Val continues to leverage our data, media and tech assets to enhance her agency’s strategic offering and business-building creative work,” he said.

Different personalities

“About a decade ago we made different bets as the world was changing,” Getty explained, with Deutsch L.A. investing heavily in its digital capabilities and Steelhead production facility, where the agency’s operations will be located when it returns from remote work.

Getty credited evp and head of production Diego de la Maza with building up the offering, including expanding into non-roster client relationships. “We believe production is creative. The closer we can put everyone in the building to the creating [process], the better.”

Deutsch New York, meanwhile, has built a reputation for being scrappy and gritty, according to DiFebo.

“What that allows for is grabbing brands that are at inflection points. We don’t hold back when we think there are things to say to make a brand pivot to an opportunity area or to reinvent themselves, ” she said.

DiFebo said Deutsch New York has invested in building up its data and technology services, including a recent focus on artificial intelligence, as well as media capabilities, while also leaning into remote content production since the pandemic’s onset.

Building a more inclusive culture

Both agencies claim to be investing significantly in diversity and inclusion.

In June, Deutsch Los Angeles fired CCO Brett Craig after an offensive email about casting Black talent resurfaced on Instagram.

“A really important job as a leader is to listen to the people in your agency. There was a tremendous amount of advocacy for us [to prioritize DEI],” Getty said.

Deutsch Los Angeles is 68.1% white, according to the EEOC diversity data shared on its website, updated in September, with 5.7% of employees identifying as Black or African American, including 2.5% of middle and 4.3% of senior management.

Getty admitted the agency has much room for improvement, but says it’s committed to change and has made significant progress this year, with 48% of new hires identifying as people of color and one third of senior hires representing Black talent since June. The agency also pointed to measures including increased recruitment efforts at HBCUs, becoming the first agency to partner with the Commercial Directors Diversity Program and a pledge to increase Black leadership to 13% by 2023.

Deutsch New York’s efforts include a scholarship to help Black students break into advertising, including paid internships at the agency, education and training initiatives and the implementation of a more equitable hiring system, which helped lead to the hire of evp and director of human resources Celeste Bell.

As of June, Deutsch New York is 67% white, with 9.8% of staff identifying as Black or African American, including 3.9% of mid-level and 7.7% of senior management. The agency plans to update its data by the end of 2020, and claims 60% of new hires since June have been Black women.

“We feel a tremendous sense of urgency around this issue. One of the reasons we hired Karen Costello was her passion … to put DEI at the core of how we operate,” Getty said.

A return to roots in a difficult year

When Karen Costello rejoined Deutsch L.A. as CCO in August, filling the vacancy left by Craig’s departure, it also marked the agency’s 13th hire elevated to the role of its creative leader.

“Karen, on her first day back at the agency, told the story of the beginning of Deutsch L.A., of 13 people sitting in this tiny room. The thing that really drove those 13 people was ambition,” Getty said.

“Karen walking back into our doors and reminding us and driving us with that ambition is a really exciting thing for all of us,” she added. “It’s going to do a lot to help reconnect us back to that entrepreneurial spirit that has allowed us to accomplish so much.”

Getty said the agency was able to bounce back from setbacks leading Deutsch L.A. to lay off or furlough 10% of staff in April and grow on the year, largely thanks to an expanding relationship with Walmart, including recent work on Walmart+.

Friendly competition

The divided agencies are now looking to grow in distinct directions.

“As we each lean into our entrepreneurial spirits,” DiFebo said, “each agency will try to get ahead of what clients need before they need it.”

For each agency, that will also mean capitalizing on the strength and talent of their locations.

“We’re at the place where culture starts and want to be using that for brands in a really powerful way,” Getty said, adding that Deutsch L.A. will continue to broaden production capabilities while also expanding its performance marketing practice.

While now distinct agencies, it’s possible Deutsch L.A. and Deutsch New York could team up to collaborate for a client.

At the same time, neither agency could rule out competing against each other for new business. “There are brands Val and I both have ambitions for and see ourselves as a good fit,” Getty said.

“It may happen,” DiFebo added.

Should it come to that, may the best Deutsch win.