Taverner (pictured) will focus on growing Merkle’s Emea division and will lead the ‘Alliances Platform’, which works with the company’s technology partners to help clients transform their customer experience.

Before taking up his new role, Taverner was head of Merkle’s technology services division, a role he had served in since October 2020. He has been at Merkle since the acquisition of Comet Global Consulting in 2017.

Taverner will replace Margaret Wagner, who has been appointed president of Merkle and chief executive officer of Dentsu’s customer experience management business in Emea.

Wagner said: “Over the last four years Sam has brought in and grown business across some of our biggest clients.

“He has the strategic ability to get under the skin of client challenges and provide leadership to ensure we develop and deliver the best solutions to them. I am very excited about what Sam will achieve for Merkle and our clients.”