George Gallate, previously Global CEO and Global Chairman of Havas Digital, has joined the Board of Directors of Elite SEM, an award-winning performance-driven digital marketing agency.
Gallate is deeply respected in the agency space, having spent 27 years at Havas, where he established one of the first digital networks in the advertising industry. He pioneered its global expansion, with the agency being recognized as the largest digital network globally from 2003 to 2008. Gallate then served as CEO of RKG, the Rimm Kaufman Group, leading its sale to Merkle in 2014, where he became CMO and was awarded the American Business Awards' Grand Stevie for his marketing leadership success.
Now principal of MKTG2.U, a communications and social media consultancy serving CMOs and agencies, Gallate joins the Elite SEM Board of Directors to work closely with the leadership team as they serve enterprise CMOs with integrated media strategies that drive exponential growth and ROI. He will also lend his expertise in capitalizing on the rapidly changing digital ecosystem as the convergence of search, social, and digital marketplaces continues to grow.
Elite SEM is a performance-driven digital marketing agency known for its award-winning culture and client performance, with seven offices and a growing remote workforce across the U.S.
Elite SEM's unique business model ties account performance to account managers and rewards teams for continuous performance and client satisfaction with a share of company profits. This approach has led to an unprecedented 94% employee and client retention rate and has contributed to over 25% growth from 2016 to 2017.
In February 2017, Elite SEM announced its partnership with Mountaingate Capital to accelerate growth and expand and strengthen its core performance marketing services including Paid Search, Paid Social, Shopping & Feed, Performance Display, Amazon & Marketplaces, SEO, CRO, and Analytics. The organization made its first acquisition in October 2017 and accelerated growth is expected to continue in 2018 across other compatible marketing disciplines as dictated by growth opportunities, client needs, and industry trends.
"Elite SEM has a strong reputation as an accountable digital marketing agency for top brands, enterprise organizations, and thriving growth companies," says Gallate. "They have an impressive track record in delivering data-driven integrated marketing that drives ROI. What excites me the most about joining this group is being able to dive deeper into the company's unique culture and business model."
"The combination of Elite SEM and Mountaingate was most compelling," Gallate continued. "I've admired Elite SEM's business model for many years and have recognized them as a formidable competitor in the space. I'm excited to now be a part of this fast-growing organization."
Ben Kirshner, founder and CEO of Elite SEM, values Gallate's experience in accelerating the agency's growth, and emphasized the importance of selecting well-rounded professionals for Elite SEM's Board of Directors: "It was important to us that our Board of Directors embrace the direction we've taken on cultivating intrapreneurship and meritocracy as two must-have components of our culture," he said. "George holds the same values that we do and knows exactly what it takes to attract and develop the best talent in the industry. As this has a direct correlation to delivering superior results for our clients, we believe strongly that adding George to our Board is a move that will be felt positively through all levels of the organization and to our clients as well."
"George brings a tremendous depth of experience both in growing digital agencies and in working with large global clients," said Colton King, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Mountaingate Capital. "His numerous accolades and track record in innovation and driving growth - both organically and through acquisition - demonstrate his ability to steer agencies to new levels of success. We're thrilled to welcome George Gallate to the Elite SEM family."