Megan Simoes named president of Scottsdale marketing agency

The James Agency has announced the appointment of Megan Simoes, the agency’s seasoned integration director, as the Scottsdale-based integrated marketing agency’s first president.

The appointment is part of The James Agency’s effort to “Double Down,” the agency’s theme for 2022, by investing in team growth development paths and continuing the momentum from 2021, according to a press release.

Simoes joined The James Agency in 2013 as a web developer, where her innate ability to develop client relationships and account mastery shined. She was promoted to senior web developer in 2015 and director of web strategy and development in 2016. Since 2020, Simoes has acted as TJA’s integration director, optimizing how specialty departments can better work together to support client initiatives.

In her role as president, Simoes will continue to support the agency’s growing team of talent, oversee several facets of operations and agency performance, support the team with client services and account management as well as further the agency’s long-term corporate strategy.

“As the agency continues to grow, it only feels natural to continue our legacy of female leadership at TJA,” said Veronique James, CEO of The James Agency. “Megan has been a tremendous asset to the organization for the last decade. Her innate ability to seek solutions and problem solve positions her as the perfect leader. It has been a pleasure to watch her grow into this role over the past 24 months and I look forward to seeing her thrive.”

Simoes’ appointment to president is just one of the many ways The James Agency is fostering team career growth in 2022. In an industry that is known for high turnover, the same can’t be said for TJA, the press release stated.

James is resolved to keep valued team members by creating leadership development paths, investing in ongoing education and fostering an environment of open communication combined with an unmatched company culture of fun.

This move has resulted in a tenured staff of directors and an industry-low turnover rate of 20.26% — as compared to 64.2% in the professional and business services sector in 2021, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“In nearly a decade at The James Agency, I can confidently say that there’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” Simoes said. “Working under a strong female leader like Veronique has inspired me to lead and mentor others to succeed within our organization and beyond.”

James founded TJA in 2005 with the goal of creating an agency focused on open communication and transparency with clients and employees. Today, the award-winning, integrated agency specializes in consumer advertising, public relations and digital and is continuing its success by celebrating 17 years in business in 2022.

The year 2020 hit the marketing industry hard, and TJA was not immune.

During the initial financial panic at the beginning of the COVID-19 shutdown, the agency lost 62% of its revenue in a matter of hours after clients called to cancel or pause their contracts. James “doubled down” on her team, retaining the entire staff while working remotely, repositioned team members into roles that supported the pivot, swiftly diversified the client roster and adjusted campaigns quickly for clients as COVID uncertainties evolved.

Today, TJA stands stronger than ever, with a projected 19.71% growth rate in 2022 — a contrast to the average 2022 compound annual growth rate for the global advertising market of 10.81%. As 2022 projected growth is met, TJA will stand at a 98.96% growth rate from 2020 to projected 2022, the press release stated.