Shirli Zelcer

Chief Data & Technology Officer, dentsu

Shirli is the Chief Data and Technology Officer (CDTO) for dentsu. In this role she is responsible for all of dentsu’s client-facing data-driven, analytics and technology-enabled products and platforms, driving innovation and sustainable growth for clients. 

Shirli was previously the Global Head of Analytics and Technology at Merkle, and continues those responsibilities as part of her expanded remit. With over 20 years of experience in analytics and insights, business advisory and organizational design, artificial intelligence and data science, and cloud and marketing technologies, Shirli is at the forefront of innovation ranging from ethical AI and advancements in cloud engineering to future-proofing data literate organizations around zero-party data. 

At Merkle, Shirli was responsible for leading the Analytics and Marketing Technology practice area, a global division of more than 5,600 practitioners across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC, covering services that include consumer and experience insights; product and market intelligence; data science and artificial intelligence; and marketing technology, big data infrastructure, and cloud engineering.  

Shirli has worked across numerous industries, but has especially deep experience in travel, media and entertainment, retail, high tech, and financial services, having partnered with brands including Disney, Dell, Universal Parks and Resorts, Royal Caribbean, Marriott, and Nike. 

Prior to joining Merkle, Shirli worked for Capital One in the Marketing and Analysis department, responsible for developing credit risk models, NPV models, and DOE testing. Shirli has both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Statistics from Cornell University. 

Shirli Zelcer is Chief Data & Technology Officer, dentsu

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