Carat has bolstered its global team with the appointment of AOL’s James Harris as chief digital officer.

Harris, who will be based in London, will become part of the Carat Global Clients, reporting to the Dentsu Aegis Network’s global president Doug Ray.

He replaces Anthony Rhind, who left the company in August to join ad tech firm Adform as chief strategy officer.

Harris joins from his current role as head of agencies for AOL international, where he oversaw the media company’s agency relationships outside the US. Prior to joining AOL in 2014, he spent two years as managing director of digital services and chief digital officer at IPG Mediabrands.

He previously enjoyed a five year stint at Carat, and was a co-founder of Diffiniti, which became iProspect.

“As a business we are focussed on ‘Redefining Media’ to deliver business outcomes for our clients. This requires a clear command of the possibilities that convergence creates and expert understanding of the latest advances in technology,” said Ray.

“[Harris] has a proven track record in driving digital thinking forward and generating transformational results. His skills will continue to strength our capabilities in this area and we are pleased to have him on board.”