Bob Ray joins Bethesda-based Marketbridge as CEO

Marketbridge, based in Bethesda, named Bob Ray its Chief Executive Officer. Ray succeeds John Shomaker, who, states a release, “led the company through a period of significant growth and integration and will remain actively involved as an advisor.

“Under Shomaker’s leadership, Marketbridge strengthened its market position by acquiring industry-leading capabilities, unifying multiple companies under a single operating model, and establishing a modernized Marketbridge brand built for enterprise growth leaders. The company now enters its next phase, expanding its role as a new type of go-to-market operating partner, one that integrates strategy, insight, data, orchestration, and activation, with emerging AI-enabled intelligence layers.

“Ray, a veteran agency CEO, previously led Merkle B2B within the Dentsu Group, helping build one of the most recognized digital and data-driven growth agencies in the world. He has held leadership roles across global marketing firms, serving clients including Cisco, Oracle, AWS, and GE.”

“Brand and growth leaders today don’t need another agency, consultancy, or tech vendor,” said Ray. “They need one partner who unifies strategy, insight, data, activation, and media, who designs, operates, and continuously optimizes the end-to-end go-to-market engine. That’s the category Marketbridge is building.”

The release states: With nearly 400 employees across North America, London, and remote hubs worldwide, Marketbridge continues to invest in AI-powered decision intelligence, connected analytics, and integrated activation capabilities that remove fragmentation between strategy and execution, offering a strategic alternative to traditional holding-company or consultancy models, and a platform for measurable, end-to-end growth.