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Mykim Chikli is to replace Jon King as UK chief executive of Performics, the Publicis Media agency that specialises in performance marketing.

Chikli is moving from Asia, where she has been chief operating officer at Publicis Media China for the past three years.

King is leaving Publicis Media "to seek his next challenge" after five years at the helm of Performics at a time when digital performance marketing has been booming as brands invest more in data-driven campaigns and ecommerce.

Publicis Media said Chikli "will be tasked with diversifying the products and services the agency provides for clients", which have included Aviva and water brand Buxton.

She will report to Sue Frogley, UK chief executive of Publicis Media, and will work with David Gould, global brand president at Performics, "to help drive product development, adoption and consistency across the agency’s global network".

King’s departure comes after Performics lost a chunk of business from fashion retailer Next, one of its largest UK clients, which moved the work to Dentsu Aegis Network earlier this year.

Chikli said: "I am 100% devoted and ready to build the greatest performance marketing agency here in the UK. Performics has real potential in this market to go to even greater heights and with the talented team we have already we are going to do just that."

She brings wide, international experience as she has also been chief executive of ZenithOptimedia, now known as Zenith, in China.

Chikli first joined ZenithOptimedia in France, the home market of parent company Publicis Groupe, in 2005 and went on to run Performics in France.

Four out of five of Publicis Media's UK agency CEOs are women

The appointment means four of the five chief executives in charge of Publicis Media’s UK agencies are women – in addition to Frogley, who oversees the division.

Natalie Cummins heads Zenith, Lindsay Turner runs Blue 449 and Spark Foundry, and Danielle Bassil is in charge of Digitas.

The reshuffle at Performics also means there has been a change of UK chief executive at all of Publicis Media’s agencies in the past 16 months.

Spark Foundry’s previous boss left in March 2018, Zenith and Digitas changed leaders in July 2018, Blue 449’s chief Simon Davis left in April and Starcom confirmed the appointment of Mark Howley in June.

Frogley said: "Mykim is an enthusiastic and seasoned leader in the digital and media space, and I am delighted she is taking up this important role.

"Performics is in a great place with a sound foundation and a huge opportunity for growth, which I know under Mykim’s leadership the team will achieve."

Frogley also praised King, saying: "Performics is now a standalone agency of record, which is down to Jon’s leadership and vision for the brand."