Former Digitas CEO Kenny Named Akamai President

David Kenny, the dynamic CEO of Digitas until its acquisition by Publicis who later stayed to guide the agency holding company’s digital strategy, has been named president of cloud optimization services company Akamai.

In his new role, which begins September 7, Kenny will oversee Akamai’s business operations, including its products group, services, marketing, global sales, engineering and operations.

He will report to Akamai CEO Paul Sagan, who in a statement said, “We have known David for a number of years, and I am confident that he will be a vital contributor to Akamai’s continued success. His global experience and executive capabilities will help to propel Akamai into its next phase of growth, and I look forward to partnering with him for many years to come.”

Kenny’s most recent role was as managing partner with Publicis digital media services unit VivaKi. Among Vivaki’s initiatives was to actively encourage the online marketing industry to coalesce around a new video ad format, Ad Selector, to better compete for dollars now being spent on 30-second TV spots.

Kenny, 48, is already very familiar with Akamai, having serves on its board of directors since 2007. In a statement he said, “Akamai plays such an important role in the very fabric of the Internet, and I have long admired the company’s talents and technological capabilities.”

Cambridge, MA-based Akamai is best known for its server infrastructure that helps companies deliver online content and e-commerce to customers worldwide, handling billions of Web interactions daily.

The hiring of Kenny is thought to be part of a strategy to leverage all the data that passes through its servers to craft a larger role for Akamai in online advertising and analytics.