Melissa Coupar Promoted to Managing Partner - Planning at OMD EMEA

Melissa Coupar has been promoted to Managing Partner - Planning at OMD EMEA, taking on an expanded leadership role within the media agency network.

Coupar’s progression reflects the changing nature of media planning, where audience data, digital platforms, measurement, and emerging technologies increasingly influence how brands develop and execute media strategies. Planning teams are now expected to connect consumer insights with business objectives across an increasingly fragmented media environment.

Coupar has built her career in media planning, with earlier experience at PHD UAE. She was also featured by Campaign Middle East among its Media Faces to Watch 2020 while serving as a Senior Planning Executive at PHD UAE.

Also Read: Patrick Whittaker Promoted to Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry

Her move into the Managing Partner role comes as agencies continue to rethink the role of planning within modern marketing. Media planners are working across a broader mix of channels, including digital, social, programmatic, connected TV, commerce media, and traditional formats.

Data and artificial intelligence are also changing the planning process. AI-powered tools are increasingly being used for audience analysis, forecasting, optimization, and campaign measurement. This is creating opportunities for faster analysis while also increasing the importance of strategic judgment and data quality.

For senior planning leaders, the challenge is increasingly about connecting these capabilities rather than treating each channel or technology separately. Brands want a clearer understanding of how different media investments work together and how campaigns contribute to broader business outcomes.

Coupar’s expanded role at OMD EMEA places her within this evolving media landscape, where planning increasingly sits at the intersection of strategy, data, technology, and consumer behavior.

The promotion also highlights the continued development of leadership talent within the media agency sector. As clients navigate changing audience habits and increasingly complex media ecosystems, planning leadership remains central to how agencies translate business objectives into media strategies.

For the wider MarTech and AdTech industry, Coupar’s appointment reflects the growing convergence of media planning and technology. Data, AI, automation, and measurement are becoming increasingly embedded in the planning process, reshaping the skills and responsibilities expected from media leaders.