By Michael Bürgi • June 1, 2026 •
This Media Buying Briefing covers the latest in agency news and media buying for Digiday+ members and is distributed over email every Monday at 10 a.m. ET. More from the series →
Dentsu has undergone a shift in top management on a global scale, with new global CEO Takeshi Sano in charge of an agency holding company that sits just under the Big Three — Publicis, Omnicom and WPP — but has taken its lumps over the last few years as it tries to stay ahead of Havas and a raft of smaller holdco and independents clamoring to grow their businesses.
Although the company has seen some executive turnover in the Americas, Beth Ann Kaminkow has now been in place as the CEO for the entire region for more than a year. She’s also charged with leading client service as global chief client officer. Meantime, at her side on the media end of Dentsu is a longtime Dentsu vet, Will Swayne, who’s global practice president of media and integrated solutions but has a long tenure within media agency Carat.
The two executives sat down with Digiday’s editor-in-chief Jim Cooper and senior editor Michael Bürgi for a wide-ranging conversation on how they’re adapting AI into Dentsu’s processes, as well as what to expect in this upfront market that’s getting underway.
