Wavemaker appoints Briana Finelli as Group Director, Commerce Strategy Practice Lead

Wavemaker has appointed Briana Finelli as group director, commerce strategy practice lead, effective immediately. Finelli will report to Dennis Potgraven, Wavemaker’s US Chief Strategy Officer.

Bringing six years of ecommerce agency experience to Wavemaker – Finelli will partner with Wavemaker’s strategy team to leverage Wavemaker’s full commerce offerings for clients who are seeking a partner that will challenge the ways they have traditionally served their consumers.

Finelli will also positively evolve Wavemaker US’s award-winning strategic offering scope to focus on the agency’s portfolio of new economy clients (including working with outside venture capital and private equity partners to launch e-commerce brands), shaping its positioning in the marketplace, building out its leadership team, and developing the agency’s full roster of clients.

Finelli joins Wavemaker from Reprise Digital where she led the retail media division of Reprise Commerce. There, she served as director of ecommerce media across full client portfolios and media channels for B2B2C and D2C clients such as The LEGO Group, Johnson & Johnson, and Keurig Dr Pepper.

Retail media isn’t just growing—it’s booming. There is a growing need for agency partners that can not only navigate the space but break new ground and innovate from within it.”

BRIANA FINELLI, GROUP DIRECTOR, COMMERCE STRATEGY PRACTICE LEAD

Briana continued: “I’ve committed my career to challenging the status quo in retail media. I’m excited to be joining an agency with a record of success challenging the norms and a proven interest in helping clients raise the bar for short-term success and long-term growth.”

“Briana is a fantastic addition to our Wavemaker Commerce team who will help clients grow their e-retail footprint to the next level, expanding and building out the practice and our service offerings for our clients,” said Dennis Potgraven. “Every new hire is an opportunity to evolve our current client offerings, and Brianna’s expertise will help us push many coming announcements off the ideas table and into our capabilities roster.”

Finelli succeeds Samantha Bukowski, who has been promoted to GroupM head of global commerce strategy and operations, a testament to GroupM talent mobility providing the agency’s people new opportunities and variety around the network and the globe.