DJ Perera has joined the Ad Council as chief media officer. She succeeds Kathy Kayse, who will be retiring on May 12 after leading the media team for five years. Prior to joining the Ad Council, Perera led Boehringer Ingelheim’s U.S. Media Center of Excellence, managing all aspects of direct-to-consumer and health care professionals paid media for the company’s brands.
In her new role, Perera will oversee the Ad Council’s media team and the department’s four Centers of Excellence: Digital Products, Digital Media and Operations, Media Strategy and Engagement and Emerging Media, Technology and Innovation. Perera will continue to evolve the Ad Council’s media model and develop strategic partnerships across the media ecosystem, strategically using both pro bono and paid media elements to enhance the organization’s impact on social issues. This will include identifying engagement strategies in website development, leading the exploration of trends in consumer engagement and driving innovation in emerging media and technology.
“She is an accomplished media executive and an empathetic and passionate marketer,” said Lisa Sherman, president and CEO of the Ad Council. “DJ is well-respected across the marketing and media industries for her in-depth knowledge, collaborative nature, and the innovation she has brought to brands across many sectors. Her leadership will have a meaningful impact on addressing mental health, gun violence and racial justice, along with many other critical social issues facing our country.”
Perera is a digital native who started her career in the late 1990s during the dot-com boom, leading digital initiatives at iXL, Proxicom and Qwest Communications. She then worked at a marketing agency for 10 years where she built and led its digital practice. Perera has also served as head of U.S. integrated media at Beiersdorf where she led the restructure of this group into a Center of Excellence.
“It is not often that you have the opportunity to step into a role that so closely brings together your craft with your purpose. This opportunity to serve as the chief media officer at the Ad Council is exactly that for me,” said Perera. “I’m grateful for the chance to make a lasting impact and to continue the incredible work of Kathy Kayse and her team.”
Perera is active on many industry committees and boards, most recently being appointed as chairperson of the Association of National Advertisers’ Media Committee.
Born in Sri Lanka, she moved to Trinidad as a small child and later settled in New York City where she attended Stuyvesant High School and New York University.
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More