Meet the 12 Most Successful Media Agency Execs in Southern California

Some things in Los Angeles always remain: palm trees, the Santa Ana winds, convertibles, In-N-Out Burger. But the country's second-largest media market has also witnessed its share of change, much of it expressed through a rapidly evolving media planning and buying business. Here, we introduce the inaugural L.A. Media Stars, written by Adweek's longtime West Coast contributing writer T.L. Stanley and spotlighting the most important people in that universe. Among the many changes this city has seen: movie marketing that has been turned on its head in the digital age. Gone are the days of well-placed spots on "Must-See TV" and a handful of billboards. Data and insights, Snapchat displays and branded-content upfronts are the new currency of getting butts into multiplex seats. Not surprisingly, the number of media agencies in L.A. has grown, each securing its base in the entertainment industry (20th Century Fox and Zenith, Sony Pictures and UM, Universal Pictures and Maxus, Lionsgate and Mindshare) and building the business from there. It makes sense that many of our Media Stars are steeped in branded entertainment—a most natural fit for any media player in the City of Angels.