Mindshare has hired Kathy Kline as chief strategy and innovation officer in North America, working closely with Mindshare’s North American and global leadership across data strategy, media planning, and investment.

She has been tasked with elevating the strategic solutions at the agency and “leading a strong push for innovation and ground-breaking ideas.”

An industry veteran, Kline brings more than 30 years of experience to this role. She comes from more than 15 years with Starcom where, most recently, she served as the global chief strategy officer. Prior to that she spent over 15 years in media roles at Leo Burnett, leaving as VP account planning.

This announcement follows a surge of other recent leadership appointments at Mindshare, including Jeff Malmad as global head of commerce, Brian DeCicco as North American chief data strategy and analytics officer and Lesley Conway as CEO of Mindshare Canada.

As part of GroupM restructuring announced in April, the integration of Mindshare and performance agency Neo is expected to be finalized in the near future. First announced in 2020, the combination will result in Neo now operating under the Mindshare brand, retaining and scaling Neo’s performance-focused operating model and integrating it into Mindshare’s full-funnel offering.