RPA has named chief media officer Jim Helberg as its new CEO, succeeding Pete Imwalle, who has left the agency after more than three decades, the agency confirmed to ADWEEK.
Imwalle spent 32 years at RPA, rising through the ranks to chief executive, a role he held during a period of continued independence for the Santa Monica-based agency and marked by longstanding relationships with marquee clients like American Honda. His departure marks a significant leadership shift for the largest independent advertising agency on the West Coast.
Helberg, who has served as RPA’s EVP and chief media officer since 2017, has nearly a decade of experience at the agency; previously, he held senior roles at Spark Foundry.
