Global IPG Mediabrands agency UM, selected as 2020 Adweek U.S. Media Agency of the Year at the beginning of last year, has hired Christine Villanueva as U.S. chief strategy officer and member of its executive team.

In the role, Villanueva will be responsible for UM’s strategy product and capability road map, including uncovering marketplace opportunities and identifying new strategic storytelling capabilities, as well as developing strategies to help clients evolve and contribute to short- and long-term growth. Villanueva will work closely with the agency’s analytics, research, planning and investment functions to develop end-to-end consumer strategies, as well as collaborating with creative content arm UM Studios to develop communication platforms and innovative media plans. As U.S. CSO, Villanueva will serve as a key member of UM’s executive leadership team and report directly to UM U.S. CEO Lynn Lewis, who was selected as Adweek Media Executive of the Year last year.

“We are thrilled to have Christine join our team as we continue to deepen our strategy offering and deliver on our promise to help our clients future-proof their businesses,” Lewis said in a statement. “A dynamic leader and future-facing strategist, Christine will leverage the power of strategy to unlock opportunities that drive strategic excellence and better business outcomes for today and tomorrow.”

Villanueva joined UM from Walton Isaacson, where she led strategy and an internal rebranding as chief strategy and brand officer, as well as building out the agency’s diversity and inclusion offering. At Walton Isaacson, she worked with clients including Lexus and McDonald’s. Before joining Walton Isaacson in 2016, Villanueva spent over a year at McCann New York, where she served as evp, executive strategy and analytics director, leading planning, branding and communication efforts across brands including Nespresso, Nikon, Office Depot’s OfficeMax and State Street Global Advisors.

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