Rick Watrall Named Chief Analytics Officer at Horizon Media

Watrall An Industry Veteran Specializing in Advanced Marketing Analytics

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Apr 29, 2015, 08:07 ET

NEW YORK, April 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Horizon Media, the largest and fastest growing privately held media services agency in the world, announced today that it has hired Rick Watrall as Chief Analytics Officer. Watrall will focus on enhancing analytics solutions, inventing new avenues for data creation, transforming the agency's proprietary data platforms and mining new sources and streams of data. He will lead Horizon's team of analysts, data scientists and statisticians to inform and support the agency's strategy, channel planning and activation solutions. Watrall will be based in the agency's New York office.

"Rick's strong expertise in driving business performance through analytics will power the opportunity for data to be further infused across our strategy and activation disciplines," said Bill Koenigsberg, President, CEO and Founder of Horizon Media. "His experience working with Fortune 100 companies will certainly prove to be an invaluable asset to Horizon as we continue to provide the best analytics solutions for our clients."

In his role as Chief Analytics Officer, Watrall will lead the agency's advanced marketing analytics team to turn data into actionable information and insights that can both inform and support the agency's recommendations to clients. He is tasked with leading the agency's data scientists in designing and recommending the appropriate analytical approach across various client and internal needs. Watrall is additionally charged with building out a new analytics team that will work alongside the agency's Chief Information Officer, Cliff Cree, to analyze and interpret data to seek causal relationships and provide value to Horizon and its vast client portfolio as it continues to expand.

"Horizon is a different type of agency, one with a very special culture," said Rick Watrall, Chief Analytics Officer at Horizon Media. "I look forward to working closely with Bill and the agency's incredible team as we expand Horizon's analytics solutions to gain greater efficiencies for our clients."

Most recently, Watrall was senior Partner at Hudson River Group where he was responsible for marketing analysis and software applications for strategic and tactical marketing planning as well as ROI optimization. Prior to Hudson River Group, Watrall was a Partner at MarketingNPV where he helped Global 100 companies measure and improve the payback on marketing investments and campaigns through marketing dashboards, budgeting and resource allocation tools.

Watrall graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Computer and Information Sciences and holds a MBA in Marketing and Finance from Drexel University. He currently lives in New Jersey.

About Horizon Media
Horizon Media, Inc. is the largest and fastest growing privately held media services agency in the world. The company was founded in 1989, is headquartered in New York and has offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Chicago. Horizon Media was chosen as 2011 Independent Media Agency of the Year by Mediapost, 2010 U.S. Media Agency of the Year by Adweek, Brandweek, and Mediaweek as well as by Ad Age and as one of the world's ten most innovative marketing and advertising companies by Fast Company in 2011. In 2012, Bill Koenigsberg, President, CEO and Founder, was honored by Advertising Age as Industry Executive of the Year. Most recently, in 2014, Bill Koenigsberg was named 4As Chair of the Board and is the first person from a media agency to hold this prestigious position in the 100 year history of the 4As, the marketing industry's leading trade association.

The company's mission is "To create the most meaningful brand connections within the lives of people everywhere." By delivering on this mission through a holistic approach to brand marketing, Horizon Media has become one of the largest and fastest-growing media agencies in the industry, with estimated billings of over $5.2 billion and over 1000 employees.

The company is also a founding member of Columbus Media International, a multi-national partnership of independent media agencies. For more information, please visit horizonmedia.com.

Contact
Kaya Lobaczewski
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SOURCE Horizon Media