WPP AUNZ today announced the departure of Mark Lollback from his position as CEO of GroupM Australia & New Zealand, effective from Friday March 19, 2021.
WPP AUNZ is actively in market for a replacement, with GroupM APAC CEO Ashutosh Srivastava leading the business in the interim.
Lollback has led the GroupM business since April 2016, overseeing integration between the company’s strong portfolio of agencies including Mindshare, MediaCom, Wavemaker and Essence, and the launch of industry-leading addressable TV business Finecast.
Lollback joined GroupM following an illustrious global marketing career including positions as VP of Marketing for Unilever, ANZ CMO for McDonald’s and CMO for ANZ Banking Group.
Commenting on his departure, Lollback said he was proud of his time running GroupM, driving its transformation, and wishing the team every success through the next stage of its journey.
“I’m extremely proud of what we have achieved over the past five years at GroupM, and I leave the business in its rightful place as an iconic global brand with an enviable heritage in the Australia and New Zealand media landscape.”
“Following more than 30 years working for some of the most respected multinational companies and brands across the globe, I have decided that it is time to return to where my heart is, into client-side marketing. I plan to work more closely with several innovative start-ups I have invested in over the last few years and use my experience and learnings to pursue Independent Board Director positions.”
“I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank all the amazing and professional people I have had the pleasure to work with and lead over the years at GroupM and WPP, and thank Jens Monsees for his leadership,” he added.
WPP AUNZ CEO Jens Monsees thanked Lollback for his hard work and dedication running GroupM across the region.
“Mark is a highly regarded industry leader, and on behalf of myself and the executive team we would like to thank him for his strong leadership through challenging times.”
“GroupM is a leading part of WPP AUNZ’s unique strategy of combining tech implementation and content creation with world-class media operations. I am excited to work with everyone across the business to continue build upon the group’s strong foundations, as we move into the next era of this successful story,” he said.
GroupM APAC CEO Srivastava expressed his gratitude to Lollback, whilst emphasising GroupM’s integral place in WPP’s operations across the region.
“AUNZ is a key focus in our strategic priorities across APAC and together we thank Mark for his leadership and contribution to that success story. On behalf of the GroupM’s global team we wish him the very best as we define the future of our operations across APAC and beyond,” he said.
