MONKS

Monks Appoints Gila Wilensky Head of Data & Media

Monks, the digital arm of S4Capital, has hired Gila Wilensky as EVP and Head of Data & Media for North America. Wilensky joins from WPP, where she spent six years focused on business growth and most recently served as chief solutions officer for North America. At Monks she will oversee the agency’s media and data practice, develop go-to-market strategy and scale integrated, data-driven media and creative solutions. The article highlights Monks’ AI operating system Monks.Flow and the agency’s partner relationships with major algorithmic ad platforms such as Meta, Google and Amazon as differentiators in delivering AI-enabled, client-owned integrations and faster insights for brands.

VideoWeek Cannes Lions 2026 Preview

VideoWeek published a Cannes Lions 2026 preview highlighting expected themes and industry conversations ahead of the festival. The piece anticipates continued dominance from big tech and familiar ad-tech vendors, widespread discussion of AI (with a shift toward delivered, in-market and agentic AI campaigns), and an emphasis on CTV consolidation following deal activity (including a prospective Paramount/Warner Bros. Discovery combined ad offering and Fox’s agreement to buy Roku). It notes TF1’s distribution deal with Netflix going live and the UK government’s proposed ban on social media for under‑16s as a controversial policy topic with advertising implications. VideoWeek will host two live events at the Marea Rooftop on Tuesday June 23 — VideoWeek Live (partnered with IAS, Synamedia, UpTalkTV, TiVo, Bedrock Platform, Dailymotion and Swivel) and the TV Rise Forum Town Hall — featuring senior industry leaders discussing CTV, measurement, AI and programmatic TV.

Marketers Now 'Marketing to Algorithms', Says Monks

A sponsored interview on The Drum (June 16, 2026) with Monks leaders Wesley ter Haar and Simon John argues AI is reshaping marketing — from creative production to decision-making — and that the main barrier to transformation is organizational (people, workflows, governance), not the technology itself. Ter Haar and John say many companies remain in a 'post‑pilot' phase of isolated AI tests instead of embedding AI across end‑to‑end workflows. They argue traditional agency operating models are increasingly unfit for an AI‑driven era and describe opportunities for agencies that embrace agility, curiosity and redesigned marketing infrastructure. The piece promotes a longer video conversation about moving beyond pilots, what an agentic marketing ecosystem looks like, and redesigning marketing for AI.