Global media agency Carat has promoted chief strategy officer Michael Epstein to chief client officer U.S. In his new role, Epstein will oversee all of the U.S. client teams across Carat’s offices in New York, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Epstein will retain oversight of the agency’s strategy, insights and intelligence, and convergence planning teams, and will continue to report to Doug Ray, U.S. & Global President of Carat.
Since joining Carat as its first chief strategy officer in May 2013, Epstein has helped to drive Carat’s agenda, contributed to the agency’s ongoing new business success, including Danone and MasterCard, and brought a sense of community and greater connectivity to the planning, strategy and insights teams.
Prior to joining Carat, Epstein was president of strategic resource and client services at Mindshare, where he was responsible for overseeing all digital media services for North America, new business, multicultural and promotions, and key client relationships. He also served as client leader, Team Unilever North America.
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More