Horizon Media Holdings, the parent company of Horizon Media, announced the appointment of Bob Lord as President. With a career spanning more than three decades at the intersection of marketing, media, and technology, Lord’s leadership and expertise in digital transformation and innovation will help drive the next phase of growth for Horizon Media Holdings – meeting client demand and creating transformative value for clients across its portfolio. The newly created role will report to Horizon’s CEO and founder, Bill Koenigsberg.
Horizon Media Holdings, the privately-held umbrella organization that includes Horizon Media – the world’s largest independent media agency – also houses affiliate agencies including Horizon Next (full-service marketing); Night Market (commerce); One Horizon (full-service advertising); HS&E (sports and experiential) Blue Hour Studios (social agency); First Tube (moments marketing); 305 (multicultural); and Green Thread (B2B marketing). As President, Lord will oversee the development and alignment of the company’s diversified businesses across each of its offices, integrating advanced technologies, data accessibility, and innovative solutions to ensure Horizon remains at the forefront of helping clients solve new challenges in an ever-evolving marketing landscape. He will also lead the company’s international strategy.
Lord, who stepped away from the marketing and media industry for nearly a decade to take on leadership roles in advanced technology, has a distinguished career driving enterprise transformation and innovation. As IBM’s first Chief Digital Officer, he infused AI across IBM’s applications, revolutionized its go-to-market strategy, and launched a groundbreaking initiative, Call for Code, to address societal challenges using advanced technology. He successfully divested core units to align with IBM’s business strategy and orchestrated the sale of The Weather Company, which he led for two years, to a private equity partner. Earlier, as President of AOL, he led the development of an industry-leading programmatic media platform, transforming the digital advertising landscape. As Global CEO of Razorfish, he oversaw the company’s transformation into a global leader in digital marketing and its acquisition by Publicis Groupe.
“Bob’s extraordinary track record is synonymous with transformation,” said Koenigsberg. “His accomplishments across technology, innovation, and business transformation make him the ideal leader to drive Horizon Holdings forward. He brings a unique executive leadership at the nexus of media, marketing, and technology, and his experience leading digital ecosystems, building media platforms, and scaling global agencies aligns perfectly with our vision for growth. With Bob’s ability to harness advanced technology to build ecosystems that not only solve complex challenges but also drive real growth for clients, we are set to go deeper into new frontiers while strengthening our core. I look forward to working with him to ensure we remain agile, forward-thinking, and deeply attuned to the voice of our clients, redefining what it means to be an independent, tech-centered, and people-first organization.”
Lord serves on the boards of Integral Ad Science and Finance of America, as well as private companies Delve and Certified Collectibles Group (CCG). He has previously served on the boards of Williams-Sonoma, various Blackstone portfolio companies, AquaFinance, and Screenvision Media. In addition, he is currently an Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School teaching in the entrepreneurial program “Scaling Technology Ventures.”
“I am honored to join Horizon Holdings and contribute to shaping its next chapter,” said Lord. “Horizon Media has built an incredible reputation for delivering innovative, client-first media solutions, and Horizon Holdings represents an exciting opportunity to build on this foundation. Stepping away from media and marketing for almost a decade to immerse myself in AI, data, and quantum computing was a transformative experience – one that provided invaluable insights into how advanced technologies can unlock new possibilities, solve challenges, and revolutionize business and society.”
“Now, he continued, “I’m focused on bringing this experience back to the marketing and media industry to modernize technology tool sets with AI and allow greater transparency into consumer data. This approach will help to maximize ROAS and deliver an increased value exchange for brands and their customers. Horizon Media Holdings and its long history of media innovation is uniquely positioned to lead this revolution. Together with Bill and the broader team, we’ll explore new opportunities, develop bold solutions driven by real-time data insights, and utilize Large Language Models (LLMs) and cutting-edge data tools to create an integrated open marketing platform and ecosystem for our clients and partners.”
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