VaynerMedia names first-ever international president

Global creative and media agency VaynerMedia has appointed Marcus Krzastek (pictured) as its first-ever international president, effective immediately. He reports directly to Gary Vaynerchuck, chairman of VaynerX and chief executive officer (CEO) of VaynerMedia.

The appointment comes as part of the agency's global expansion. In the newly created role, Krzastek will oversee operations in Asia Pacific (APAC) and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), leading a team of nearly 600. 

VaynerMedia’s international footprint has surged in recent years, growing from hubs in Singapore and London to established teams in Australia, India, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, and Amsterdam. Krzastek will continue accelerating VaynerMedia’s international expansion and operations, collaborating closely with regional managing directors Tim Lindley and Daisy Domenghini, who will report directly to him.

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A VaynerMedia veteran, Krzastek joined the company in 2009 and has been involved in its evolution from a small startup to a global agency. Most recently, as president of The Sasha Group, a VaynerX company, he drove a 30% revenue increase while boosting profitability. Earlier in his career, Krzastek served as chief of staff at VaynerX, where he helped launch and scale multiple ventures.

“Marcus has been integral to VaynerMedia’s success since day one,” said Vaynerchuk. He added, “His deep understanding of our business and exceptional leadership make him the perfect choice to accelerate our global growth in this next chapter.”

Reflecting on his new role, Krzastek said, “Over the past 15 years, I’ve witnessed VaynerMedia grow from a scrappy startup into a global powerhouse, creating social-first content for the world’s biggest brands. I’m honoured to take on this new role and excited to build upon the incredible momentum across our international regions.”

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to VaynerMedia for more information. 

Krzastek's appointment comes shortly after the departure of VaynerMedia's EMEA executive creative director VJ Anand in the beginning of January. 

Anand started his journey at VaynerMedia in 2019 as head of creative, APAC as the agency's fourth hire where he partnered with Avery Akkineni, who was VaynerMedia APAC's managing director to build and run the office. Akkineni is currently holding the position of CMO at VaynerX, according to her LinkedIn. 

In conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE previously, Anand said that he is leaving to be closer to family. He added that he left VaynerMedia EMEA in a "good place", adding that "we did some of the biggest projects we've ever done for the Europe office."

In a LinkedIn post, Anand said that he still hasn't "figured out what's next" and that he will focus on family matters before diving into his next journey. 

During his time at VaynerMedia APAC, Anand worked on global social media campaigns for brands such as SK-II, Subway and Prudential Singapore. Anand then rose through the ranks to become a managing partner at VaynerMedia APAC from 2021 to 2022 before assuming the role of executive creative director EMEA and global creative operations where he is based in London, UK. 

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