(Chicago, IL, August 14, 2020)
MERGE, a premium storytelling technology company, today announced the retirement of Joe Kuchta and the appointment of Jean May to president, MERGE West, effective immediately. Kuchta stepped down from MERGE after 35 years of having served as principal of Sandbox and president of MERGE West. May transitions into the role of president after serving as chief performance officer.
“Jean has proven to be a strong force in the unification of MERGE and Sandbox, and her deep knowledge of our combined clients, people and offerings will advance MERGE’s ability to deliver modern marketing to our clients,” said Patrick Venetucci, chief executive officer, MERGE. “Jean’s accomplishments as a results-driven leader with expertise fostering strong client relationships and exceptional team performance, paired with her multichannel category experience, makes her well suited for this leadership position.”
In her new role, May will be responsible for business operations in the region, client growth and success, and the unification of MERGE offices in the West. In collaboration with the other MERGE presidents, May will drive agency growth while continuing to establish MERGE as a leading independent agency with the purpose of promoting health, wealth and happiness.
Previously, as the chief performance officer of MERGE, May led staffing and resourcing efforts across the organization, aligning teams with a unique talent-to-task model that ensures the proper resources are assigned to deliver measurable results and contribute to the continued growth of the business and its employees. At Sandbox, May held the role of chief experience officer where she focused on driving the agency to create a desirable experience for clients. May’s background also includes various client services roles at Corbett Accel Healthcare Group, now TBWA/WorldHealth (an Omnicom company), before transitioning to project management and operations. In 2013, Jean joined GA Communication Group, eventually acquired by Sandbox, to help build and foster a newly created team of producers, ultimately moving into a senior vice president role in 2018.
“As we navigate uncharted territory during these unprecedented times, I am thrilled to step into the role of president, West and continue to guide MERGE toward a unique culture of collaboration across our markets to deliver an unmatched experience for both clients and employees,” said Jean May. “Having a strong foundation of high-performing, talented individuals is paramount in ensuring client success, and I am energized to work in partnership with the other MERGE presidents to drive ongoing agency transformation and growth.”
About MERGE
MERGE promotes health, wealth and happiness in the world by merging storytelling with technology and offers marketing and technology clients full-service capabilities including strategy, creative communications, experience engineering, media, digital platform development and more. MERGE has enduring client partnerships with American Express, T-Mobile, LG, Fidelity, Eaton Vance, BlueCross BlueShield, Abbott, Takeda, Boston Scientific, Advocate Aurora Health, Brigham Health, Indiana University Health and Marco’s Pizza. With 550+ employees across offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Kansas City, New York City, Orange County and Toronto, MERGE uses a talent-to-task process that enables clients to think higher and feel deeper about their customers. For more information, visit mergeworld.com.