GroupM Names Dr. Brian Dashew as Head of Learning & Development for North America 

Dashew to Lead Recently Announced GroupM University

New York, NY (July 13, 2022) – GroupM, WPP’s media investment group, announced today that Dr. Brian Dashew has been named Head of Learning & Development for North America and will lead GroupM University, the recently launched learning and development hub dedicated to employee growth. In his role, Dashew will be responsible for leading, designing, and executing industry-leading learning experiences and professional development curriculum within GroupM University.  

“As the largest media investment company in the world, I am thrilled to partner with some of the best creative minds in media,” said Dashew. “In today’s market, we must seek new approaches for understanding and meeting the evolving needs of our diverse talent. This includes offering continuous learning grounded in professional skills and career progression, such as the new Launch Pad program. Demonstrating a commitment to learning innovation is key to individual, client, and company success.”

Announced in March 2022, GroupM University and the GroupM Launch Pad program are part of GroupM’s ongoing commitment to its people, through enriching learning opportunities that enable professional and personal growth. GroupM is committed to investing $15MM over the next three years to provide employees with the best training programs, career coaching, and personal enrichment opportunities to prepare them for the future of the media industry. In early June, GroupM welcomed the first cohort of Launch Pad Associates who will be completing a practicum-based 12-week program focused on learning the media landscape and developing professional performance media skills. The program is open to individuals from all backgrounds, while supporting efforts to build a more diverse talent pool. As GroupM University continues to scale its offerings over the coming months, the group will announce additional programs to support employee growth and curated learning experiences for clients.  

“I am thrilled to welcome Brian. This appointment is key to our strategy of investing in our people. Our talent is our greatest asset, and we need to prepare them with skills to make them successful in their current and future roles in media,” said Serena Anthony, Chief People Officer of GroupM North America. “Brian’s experience in academic and professional learning environments brings together the necessary pieces to lead GroupM University and create powerful programs with exceptional learning experiences for our employees that allows us to recruit and retain talent from all backgrounds, including non-traditional and diverse ones.” 

Speaking about the importance of learning to GroupM’s business, “GroupM University and this appointment of Dr. Brian Dashew aren’t just people strategy for us. They are business imperatives,” said Kirk McDonald, CEO of GroupM North America. “To continue our winning streak in-market we need to prioritize the evolving media needs of clients where things like technology, measurement, and data utilization are more important than ever. Our ability to serve our clients hinges on our ability provide them continuous relevant learning and professional development opportunities.” 

“Brian’s breadth of expertise will be invaluable as we shape our global learning agenda,” added Patrick Diaz Miholic, GroupM’s Global Head of Learning & Effectiveness. “Brian’s background in academia and instructional design are the right ingredients as we build upon our robust curriculum of learning for our people and clients.” 

Dashew comes to GroupM mostly recently from Rutgers University, where he was an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in Adult and Continuing Education, after previously holding leadership roles in instructional design, program development, and academic affairs at Columbia University. Earlier in his career, Brian held positions focused on instructional design at eCornell (part of Cornell University), and Marist College. Throughout his extensive career in academia, he has vast experience in adult learning, leadership training, and educational technology. Dashew holds a Doctor of Education from Teachers College-Columbia University, a Master of Science from Indiana University, and a Bachelor of Arts and of Science from Ithaca College. 

Dashew will report to North America’s Chief People Officer, Serena Anthony.