Zitcha appoints Debra Berman and Jonathan Waecker to senior advisory positions as it preps global expansion

Retail media platform Zitcha has appointed Debra Berman and Jonathan Waecker to senior advisory positions.

Berman is a former Chief Marketing Officer for Yahoo and JCPenney. She also led account planning for Kraft Foods, focusing on brand planning across the global portfolio and has held roles in advertising, brand strategy and management consulting. A former board director for the Association of National Advertisers, Berman’s career started in media planning and she has toggled between retail, tech and CPG.

Waecker has nearly two decades of global marketing and retail experience, holding senior marketing and global executive roles at Yahoo, The Walt Disney Company, Zynga and most recently at The Warehouse Group, New Zealand’s largest retail group, where he was Chief Customer and Sales Officer and launched the group’s retail media network, Market Media.

Troy Townsend, CEO at Zitcha, which recently announced $10 million in Series A funding, led by US investment firm VMG Partners, to accelerate growth in the North American retail media market. says: “We are delighted to welcome Debra and Jonathan as senior advisors at this pivotal moment for Zitcha.”

“Their combined expertise across global retail, media, and technology will be invaluable as we continue to address the evolving needs of retailers, including joint business planning and team integration, to rapidly scale our presence in the US and beyond."

“Debra’s strategic insights and transformational leadership in retail marketing, along with Jonathan’s proven ability to build successful retail media networks, will provide critical guidance as we continue to evolve our platform. Their experience will help ensure that Zitcha, which is built for retailers first, delivers exceptional value and enables them to connect their trade and marketing efforts to drive real results.”

Berman says: “Joining the Zitcha team in an senior advisory capacity comes as retail media networks in the US, which have traditionally been focused on e-commerce, want to broaden their omnichannel offering.”

“I’ve seen firsthand how critical it is to have a unified platform that bridges marketing and retail operations and Zitcha’s vision to create a solution aligns with the future direction of retail media. I look forward to working alongside Troy and the growing US team to leverage my experience and help guide the business through this competitive landscape.”

Waecker adds: “Having worked alongside Zitcha for the launch of the Market Media retail media network, I’ve seen firsthand the outstanding results the Zitcha platform delivers for retailers across all categories. I couldn’t be more excited to bring my global passion and expertise across retail, marketing, and retail media together to support Troy and the entire Zitcha team as they push into their next phase of growth.”

2024 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Retail media was a key focus area at the sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering.