Rokt has appointed Miles McDermott and Tirion Reid as Commercial Executives in its Australia and New Zealand team, expanding its commercial operation in the region.
The appointments add agency and brand-side experience to the team responsible for securing new partnerships with retailers and brands across Australia and New Zealand.
McDermott joins after eight years with IPG Mediabrands across EMEA and APAC, where he worked on multi-market capital investment deals involving Australian and global media owners, with a focus on product and commercial arrangements for agency clients.
Reid joins from Mars United Commerce ANZ, where she served as eCommerce Manager, overseeing eCommerce strategy, digital shelf and retail media across Australia and New Zealand. Earlier in her career, she held eCommerce media and content roles at Nestlé, as well as account management positions at Ferrero and Mars in the UK, working with retailers including Tesco.
Regional push
The additions come as Rokt builds out its presence in Australia and New Zealand. Its local commercial team is focused on winning new partnerships and broadening its reach among retailers and consumer brands in the region.
Rokt sells eCommerce technology used during online transactions. Its customers include David Jones, Live Nation, Dan Murphys, THE ICONIC, PayPal, Uber and HelloFresh.
Michael Dunlop, Head of APAC, outlined the rationale for the hires.
"Every hire we make in ANZ comes back to one thing: the outcomes we deliver for our customers. Miles and Tirion join at a moment when retailers and brands across the region are asking sharper questions about where their media investment actually drives commerce outcomes. Miles brings a first-hand understanding of how retailers and media intersect, and Tirion brings real operating experience from the brand side at businesses like Mars and Nestlé. Together, they'll help us go deeper with the customers we already work with and bring the Transaction Moment to even more of ANZ's leading retailers and brands," said Michael Dunlop, Head of APAC, Rokt.
Different backgrounds
McDermott's background is in media agency work spanning Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. That experience gave him insight into how media groups structure commercial deals and how brands assess large cross-market projects.
Reid brings brand and commerce experience, having worked on retail media, online shelf strategy and customer-facing eCommerce programs. Her roles at Mars, Nestlé, Ferrero and Mars United Commerce ANZ gave her direct experience of how major consumer brands work with retail partners.
Rokt is betting those differing perspectives will help it speak to both sides of the market as retailers and brands seek clearer returns from digital commerce spending.
McDermott said the move builds on the work he has done with clients and agencies.
"I've built my career challenging how clients and agencies evaluate and commit to media investment opportunities, and that inside knowledge translates directly into revenue growth, winning budgets, building strong relationships and closing multi-stakeholder new business deals. I'm excited to bring that experience to Rokt as it scales across ANZ. It's the perfect time to be joining such a cutting-edge business," said McDermott.
Reid said her brand-side experience shaped her view of the role.
"Having spent my career on the brand side at businesses like Mars and Nestlé, I know how hard it is to make every customer interaction feel genuinely relevant rather than just another ad. That's what drew me to Rokt - the chance to help retailers and brands turn the moment of purchase into real value for their customers, not just another impression. I'm looking forward to bringing that perspective to Rokt's customers across ANZ," said Reid.
Rokt is headquartered in New York and operates across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Its platform is used in billions of transactions each year.