GroupM has shuffled the pack of its top global brass, binning the global agency CEO roles in an effort to centralise.
Chief among the changes are that Wavemaker global CEO and global president of clients at GroupM has become the chief business officer of GroupM.
Jenner will be responsible for GroupM’s to market proposition, growth, marketing, and cross-WPP integration projects. He will support GroupM CEO Brian Lesser in driving the group’s development and our country and clients’ business opportunities.
Adam Gerhart, global CEO of Mindshare has become the global chief client officer of GroupM.
Gerhart will oversee GroupM’s major accounts and client engagement strategy across all agencies globally, working in close partnership with WPP.
Mark Patterson will become GroupM’s global president, markets and business operations. He will oversee the APAC and LATAM markets and drive key business initiatives including investment governance and the expansion of GroupM’s offshore capabilities and entertainment and sports offering.
EssenceMediacom, meanwhile, has no global CEO following Nick Lawson ‘s departure in December.
Emily Del Greco will join GroupM in February from McKinsey as its global chief operating officer. GroupM said Del Greco will work closely with global Lesser on “operationalising our vision for the future”.
Del Greco will be responsible for operations, partnerships, strategy and corporate development across GroupM and will oversee its Activation and Investment practices.
Each of the agency brands will have a new president for global client solutions, with interim appointments stepping in until GroupM has completed a formal hiring process.
Michael Karg, will hold the interim role at Mindshare (he’s currently global chief operating officer there) with Ruth Stubbs, currently EMEA CEO at Wavemaker holding a similar new role.
Frances Ralston-Good, global chief operating officer of EssenceMediacom, will also hold a similar interim position there.
GroupM stressed there would be no departures with the reshuffle. Stuart Diamond (CFO), Marie-Claire Barker (CPO), Sharb Farjami (CEO North America), Josh Krichefski (CEO EMEA), and Cesar Recalde (CEO LATAM) continue in their roles as part of GroupM’s global leadership team.
Brian Lesser, the global GroupM CEO since September, posted on LinkedIn saying the business was “building something extraordinary”.
“My first 100 days back at GroupM have been remarkable – and today’s leadership announcement makes it even more special.
“Thrilled to welcome Emily Del Greco as our new Global COO, bringing her unparalleled expertise in strategy and digital transformation to accelerate GroupM’s evolution. And, congratulations to Adam Gerhart, Toby Jenner, and Mark Patterson on their new roles that will revolutionize how we deliver for our clients.
“Together with our full leadership team, we’re building something extraordinary: seamless global solutions that unlock unprecedented value for our clients and partners.”
