TikTok’s North American Ad Chief Steps Down as Ban Nears

Sameer Singh, TikTok’s North American head of ad sales, is leaving the company, according to an internal memo reviewed by ADWEEK. The announcement comes as the popular video sharing app does mountain pressurewith a US ban taking effect on January 19.

Singh joined ByteDance in 2019 and has been a central figure in leading TikTok’s advertising business in North America. He will remain with the company until the end of February. Prior to his role at TikTok, Singh served as CEO of GroupM in South Asia.

“Sam will return to India at the end of January and will remain available to support the NA team until the end of February,” wrote Blake Chandlee, TikTok’s president of global business solutions, in the memo that was shared with the teams. of TikTok’s internal sales. “In particular, throughout 2024, Sam led our teams in the US 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 such as Brazil, Southeast Asia and the Asia Pacific region.

Going forward, TikTok plans to “immediately begin the search for a new leader to oversee our NA business,” the memo said.

Preparing for a potential ban

Singh’s departure comes at a crucial time for TikTok, with a US ban looming amid escalating national security concerns. The US government has threatened to ban TikTok unless ByteDance removes it from the app, citing fears that the Chinese government could access user data.

The potential impact of the ban advertisers and creators it could be significant. Marketers’ strategies for performance advertising may be disrupted, and it could be more difficult for people to discover brands. In addition, the competitive landscape for digital advertising could be reshaped.

The decision also raised broader questions about government control over technology platforms in terms of the balance between national security and free speech. The Supreme Court will hear arguments on January 10 regarding the potential ban. Meanwhile, TikTok appeared at CES next week, where executives will discuss the best ways for marketers to use its platform.