Retail media specialist Zitcha appoints Tony Karp as Group COO and restructures senior leadership

Retail media platform Zitcha has appointed Tony Karp, as its new Group Chief Operating Officer as part of a broader restructuring of key leadership roles.

Karp was most recently North American President of Australian founded digital gifting company Prezzee, where he delivered revenue and market growth in the US and launched the brand into Canada. He previously served as CEO and has also held executive roles at David Jones, Principal Financial group and Jones Lang LaSalle.

He says: “I’ve always believed the power of any business lies in the strength of its strategy, its culture and its people. Zitcha has all three in spades. It’s a world class retail media platform with an ambitious vision and an energised team that genuinely cares about its clients’ success. I’m looking forward to scaling the operational foundations that will support the next phase of growth.”

@‌Hellmann's elevates its brand through retail media: partnering with @Kroger, they crafted a campaign targeting diverse audiences beyond major events like the Superbowl, resulting in year-round sales. More here: https://t.co/uE7XcDz3AY pic.twitter.com/masjjsiy6H

— zitcha (@zitcha_retail) March 12, 2024

Zitcha has also announced a restructure of key roles to align with its global expansion. Co-founder and former Chief Operating Officer, Jack Byrne, becomes CEO for the APAC region. Troy Townsend, Co-founder who relocated to the United States late last year, becomes Group CEO and will lead international growth strategy.

Townsend says: “The addition of Tony to our global executive team comes at an important moment for us. We’re expanding in North America and other international markets, and we need the right structures in place to scale efficiently while staying close to our clients. His experience in driving transformation and growth in North America and Australia will be key to strengthening our delivery and enable Jack and the APAC team to build deep, local partnerships with retailers and brands.”

Byrne adds: “We are born in APAC, and have commenced our journey of global growth with boots on the ground in the UK and US. That requires focus not only on the business and the amazing staff who power it, but also the attention on our customers in this region who help shape our future. The APAC team is firing and this is a great opportunity to head into the next chapter and ensure our clients are supported by the most agile, focused and future-ready retail media platform in the market.”

Karp joins after a number of recent hires by the Australian founded business, including the appointment of Jim Kane as Vice President of Sales - Global, and  Alberto Vergara to the newly created role of Head of Data and AI.

In October of last year, Zitcha raised A$15 million (US$10 million) in Series A funding led by US investment firm VMG Partners to accelerate its North American expansion. 

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Retail media will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards, which are now open for entries, 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. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.