Nick Pahade Joins Initiative as North America CEO

Digital agency pioneer Nick Pahade has left Traffiq, where he was CEO, to become North America CEO of Initiative, the lead direct marketing agency in IPG’s Mediabrands network. He replaces Tim Spengler, who was named CEO of MagnaGlobal.

Pahade is tasked with growing Initiative’s U.S. and Canadian business, spread across offices in New York, L.A., San Diego, Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Montreal, and Toronto. Initiative says media agency researcher RECMA puts its annual billings at $5.7 billion. Among major clients are Lionsgate, MillerCoors, Hasbro, Merck, and Victoria’s Secret.

Pahade was one of the earliest digital agency innovators, having co-founded Beyond Interactive in 1995. After selling it to WPP, he later held positions at Mediacom Digital, Publicis’s Denuo venture operation, and GSI Commerce division TrueAction. “His entrepreneurial background and work in advising start-ups will be invaluable to Initiative,” Jim Hytner, Initiative’s worldwide CEO, said of Pahade in a statement.

He is succeeded at Traffiq by Lori Goldberg, former SVP of client relations. Traffiq’s platform helps ad buyers plan and execute digital campaigns by automating RFPs, insertion orders, campaign management, and reporting. It also offers a large services component, led by Goldberg since she joined in October 2010.

Reached by phone, she said Traffiq’s client billings have tripled since she joined 18 months ago. “We’re going to continue to strengthen our strategic partnerships. Our goal is to provide clients all necessary tools in marketplace.”