Sameer Singh, TikTok’s head of ad sales for North America, is leaving the company, according to an internal memo reviewed by ADWEEK. The announcement comes as the popular video-sharing app faces increasing pressurewith a US ban set to take effect on January 19.
Singh joined ByteDance in 2019 and played a central role in leading TikTok’s North American advertising business. He will remain with the company until the end of February. Prior to his role at TikTok, Singh served as CEO of GroupM for South Asia.
“Sam will return to India at the end of January and will remain available to support the NA team through the end of February,” Blake Chandlee, TikTok’s president of global business solutions, wrote in the memo shared with TikTok’s internal business teams. “Notably, throughout 2024, Sam led our teams in the United States and Canada through an unprecedented policy environment, dedicated to protecting our incredible users, creators, and business partners who use TikTok every day. »
Singh’s work at TikTok began with overseeing the company’s monetization efforts in India, where he helped manage the fallout from the country’s ban on the app in 2020, according to the memo. He also played a key role in expanding TikTok’s presence in markets like Brazil, Southeast Asia, and the Asia-Pacific region.
Looking ahead, TikTok plans to “immediately begin the search for a new leader to oversee our NA activities,” the memo said.
Prepare for a possible ban
Singh’s departure comes at a pivotal time for TikTok, with a US ban looming amid growing national security concerns. The US government has threatened to ban TikTok unless ByteDance divests from the app, citing concerns that the Chinese government could access user data.
The potential impact of the ban on advertisers and creators could be important. Marketers’ performance advertising strategies could be disrupted and it could be harder for people to discover brands. Additionally, the competitive landscape for digital advertising could be reshaped.
The ruling also raised broader questions about government control over tech platforms in terms of balancing national security and freedom of expression. The Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments on January 10 regarding the possible ban. Meanwhile, TikTok is set to appear at CES next week, where executives will discuss the best ways for marketers to use its platform.
