UTA Hires Joseph Kessler To Lead New ‘IQ’ Data And Analytics Division

Top talent agency UTA is ramping up its digital analytics capabilities with the hire of Joseph Kessler as global head of UTA IQ — a newly-created group that will leverage data to help build the careers of the agency’s clients.

Kessler, a veteran consumer insights and research strategist, will report to UTA co-president David Kramer and the company’s head of digital media, Brent Weinstein. UTA IQ will be dedicated to analyzing third-party data and also leveraging its own tools to provide guidance to agents, executives, and clients. Kessler and UTA IQ will also work closely with UTA’s digital media and digital strategy divisions, which harness social media analytics to build custom strategies for clients like Natalie’s Outlet and Miles McKenna.

“UTA understands that, in years to come, the most successful entertainment and media companies will be operating very differently

than they do today, and that at the heart of that transformation will be the rapid enhancement of data-fueled insights and evidence-based decision making,” Kessler said in a statement. Kessler most recently served as the president of digital agency Deep Focus. Prior to that, he was the CEO of youth marketing agency Noise and the president of CAA’s The Intelligence Group (IG), which was subsequently acquired by Engine Group USA.

“Over many decades, Joe has successfully operated at the high-stakes intersection of digital disruption, data-driven consumer insights, and global brands,” Kramer said in a statement. “He’s done so at a time when the explosion of platforms available to content creators and consumers means we must constantly provide deep, informed insights to our clients and within our own businesses.”