The DNA of Adkemix

Damien de Foucault

Before founding Adkemix…

Damien de Foucault began his career in the automotive industry (Ford Group and Stellantis Group) before joining Mobimétrie (formerly GIE Affimétrie) in 1998. As Sole Administrator, he developed the audience measurement system for out-of-home advertising and transformed the GIE into a joint-stock company to open its capital to media agencies and advertisers, represented by the CRTM (Club de Recherche Tous Médias).

In 2005, he became Managing Director of JFC, a Kantar subsidiary, where he expanded the company’s software solutions across Europe and North Africa: media planning, campaign management and tracking tools, competitive monitoring analysis, and more.

In 2010, he added the role of International Marketing Director at Kantar, followed by Director of Business Development and Digital Innovation for the EMEA region. During this time, he forged key partnerships, developed the hybrid “multi-source” measurement methodology, launched the Kantar Digital Academy, supported TV audience measurement development in Turkey, and exported Kantar’s data collection, transformation, and delivery tools across Europe.

From 2017 to 2022, he served as CEO of Carthage and later as Executive Vice President of Adwanted Group, where he led the company’s growth through both organic development and six acquisitions - increasing revenue from €1.6M to €15M, and growing the team from 25 to 170 employees. Simultaneously, he served as Vice President of IREP (2020–2022).

In 2022, he was appointed Managing Director of UDECAM (Union des Entreprises de Conseil et d’Achat Média), where he contributed to initiatives such as the launch of the first media campaign carbon footprint calculator and collaborated with the Ministry of the Economy (Bercy) on the drafting of the first French Influence Law. He also sits on the boards of ARPP, CESP, and La Filière Communication. Since 2024, he has been running a consulting practice specializing in media and emerging technologies.

A committed local citizen, Damien served as a municipal councillor in Neuilly-sur-Seine for 12 years. Through the association Le Parvis des Talents, he also takes part in mentoring programs to support professional inclusion.

Damien de Foucault is a graduate of EBS Paris (European Business School), holding a Master’s degree in International Business. In 2022, he completed the Finance for Leaders program at HEC Paris, where he occasionally teaches - as well as in other academic institutions.

Semantic corner…

Why “Adkemix”?

Because it's the happy fusion of “Advertising” and “Alchemics”.

Advertising is the professional path I followed after three years in the automotive industry.

And yet, no - I’m not an advertising man per se. It’s a profession I deeply admire, but I’ve spent 25 years contributing to its success in a different way: through measurement, technology, methodology, market intelligence, observatories, tools, analytics, insights, data, reporting, benchmarking… in short (deep breath)… everything that supports the rational side of advertising investment.

Rational / Advertising - now that’s a beautiful oxymoron!

Yes, great advertising should inspire, dream, move people -
And yes… when a brand invests significant budgets, it wants (and needs) to understand the value of that investment.
That’s the rational part.

Alchemics is about alchemy. No mystical nonsense here. Alchemy is what happens when - for reasons we can’t quite explain - a project becomes a breakthrough success. Whether it’s an ad campaign, a product launch, an organizational revamp, a new tech rollout, or a cross-border acquisition -
Adkemix helps you understand why and how it worked. More often than not, it’s about soft skills, and the human qualities a company has nurtured internally, that create the right kind of alchemy.

Not to turn lead into gold, but to generate value. That’s the intuitive part.

Finding the right balance between rationality and intuition - That’s the mix. It’s the ability to work both sides of the brain - of your company, your team, your resources.
A good “mix” is like a great media plan or an expertly crafted DJ set. It’s an artform.