Essence announced that Traci E. Dinkins is joining the agency as the new Head of Media for North America, a newly created role.

She comes to Essence from Omnicom’s PHD Media, where she was one of the agency’s Chief Client Officers. She previously served in leadership roles at Carat USA and GroupM’s Mindshare and MEC.

A proven and enthusiastic market leader, Traci has been integral in helping high profile and boutique clients navigate the complexities of the media marketplace throughout her career. Her deep expertise in media strategy, business development, multicultural marketing, commercial operations makes her uniquely suited to lead Essence’s growth as an industry leader in digital media, strategy and data and analytics.

In her new role with Essence, Dinkins will report to Americas CEO Jason Harrison and will oversee all media practices, including planning and activation, across North America to deliver best-in-class results for clients like Google, NBCUniversal, Airbnb and Target.

“Traci brings a unique and multilateral perspective to Essence that will help us to drive innovation across the media domain,” said North American CEO Jason Harrison. “Her role sits at the intersection of our core media capabilities, where her experience and deep marketplace knowledge will generate world class results for our clients.”

"I was driven to Essence because of its reputation for being both client- and people-focused. The agency has consistently demonstrated leadership in helping clients better connect with audiences through data, along with its test and learn mentality, making Essence an innovative partner for brands and media companies,” says Dinkins.

Traci has more than 20 years of experience and a long-standing passion for driving business impact for her clients while ensuring work is powered by a team that is diverse, collaborative and accountable. She is also passionate about mentoring others in the industry and focusing on learning and development. Clients she has worked with throughout her career include the Carnival Cruise Lines Portfolio, Delta Airlines, AT&T, American Express, Macy's, General Motors, J&J, Pepsi and State Farm.

Traci earned a BBA from Baruch College and an MBA from Cornell University. She is a long-standing advocate for diversity in the industry, serving as champion, friend, and mentor to many -- especially young professionals, and in particular, BIPOC, entering the ad business.