Coegi names Chris Kotyck EVP to drive North America growth

Coegi has appointed Chris Kotyck as Executive Vice President of Digital Operations, adding a senior leader to its ranks as the agency expands its programmatic and social media activity across North America. Based in Canada, Kotyck will oversee both programmatic and social operations, working closely with major clients such as Moderna and TJX Companies.

The agency has structured the appointment as a newly created role, designed to support its growing operational footprint. In his new capacity, Kotyck will report directly to Tessa Ohlendorf, the President of North America at Coegi.

Operations remit

Coegi said Kotyck will focus on scaling operations across the United States and Canada. The agency also cited plans to expand partnerships as a managed service provider for other agencies and direct clients.

"Chris brings exceptional programmatic expertise, investment management capabilities, and a proven track record of building and leading high-performing teams," said Tessa Ohlendorf, President, North America at Coegi. "His growth-focused mindset and deep understanding of partnership management will be invaluable as we continue to expand our capabilities and deliver innovative solutions for our clients across North America."

The appointment adds another senior leader under Ohlendorf, who was recently named President, North America. Coegi sits within True Independent Holdings, an independent media advertising group with agencies that include True Media, True Media Canada, Swell Media, Coegi and RADaR.

Kotyck brings more than 15 years of experience running media and operations teams, according to Coegi. The company described his background as focused on consultative ways of working and commercialising those approaches.

Background roles

Most recently, Kotyck led media operations at .Monks Canada. Coegi said he drove revenue growth through service optimisation. It also said he maintained minimal client churn and achieved employee retention in the low single digits annually.

Before .Monks, Kotyck worked at Dandelion Inc. Coegi described the company as one of Canada's original Google Marketing Platform resellers. It said Kotyck helped establish and scale the business.

He has also held leadership roles on the publisher side. Coegi said he launched programmatic, search and social services and revenue streams at PostMedia and Rogers.

"I've worked with Tessa for years at MightyHive/.Monks, and the opportunity to revisit that partnership at Coegi is a dream," said Kotyck. "With the increasing democratization of digital media, the complementary opportunities of AI, and the overall evolution of the industry, there's a massive opportunity for Coegi to provide and augment services that our clients need. The structure and team at Coegi is primed to help our clients take advantage of the many opportunities in front of them."

Group strategy

True Independent Holdings framed the hire as part of a wider effort to strengthen leadership across its agency portfolio.

"Chris's appointment is a strategic investment in Coegi's continued growth and operational excellence," said Jack Miller, CEO of True Independent Holdings. "His expertise in programmatic operations, combined with his collaborative leadership style and growth mindset, makes him the ideal leader to expand our capabilities in Canada while strengthening our position across North America. We're excited to have him join the team."

Coegi operates as a subsidiary of True Independent Holdings and is also part of the Meet The People group of agencies. True Independent Holdings said its participation in Meet The People has expanded its network of specialist agencies across North America.

Meet The People describes itself as an international group of unified but independent agencies. It said it brings together marketing services that include creative and design, activation and measurement, and it noted backing from Innovatus Capital Partners.

Established in 2014, Coegi focuses on programmatic media and artificial intelligence integration for a global roster of agencies and brands. Although the agency is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, it maintains a significant presence in Toronto, Canada, as well as offices in Kansas City, Columbia, and Minneapolis.

The agency's growth has been recognised by several prominent industry rankings in recent years. These accolades include a spot on Adweek's Fastest Growing Agencies list, Inc.'s 2023 Best Workplaces, and an inclusion in the AdExchanger Top 50 Programmatic Power Players.

Chris Kotyck officially joined the firm in January 2026, following a successful tenure at .Monks Canada. In his new role, he will collaborate with Tessa Ohlendorf to implement operational changes across the United States and Canada, supporting Coegi's expansion into managed services for both partner agencies and direct clients.