WPP Brand & Design collective has announced two new appointments to its senior leadership team in a move to help brands grow in an agentic era.
Emma Beckmann, global chief growth officer at Landor, has been appointed global chief growth officer, while Ann Higgins, formerly EMEA CEO of Ogilvy Consulting, joins as global chief client officer.
The new leadership structure aligns growth, client leadership and deep category expertise across the portfolio, connecting clients with the right capabilities to solve increasingly complex brand and business challenges.
Clients can draw on what Geraghty calls “a curated collective of capabilities”, bringing together specialist expertise across consulting, design and experience, underpinned by common tech and data, in combinations tailored to their business challenges – with WPP Brand & Design rapidly scaling and investing in the capabilities driving that growth.
“Brand is moving back to the centre of business strategy and branding is a top priority for major clients,” commented Jane Geraghty, global CEO, WPP Brand & Design and global CEO, Landor.
“Our evolved WPP Brand & Design structure strikes a critical balance: the integration of common data, technology, and consulting to intelligently scale the business of branding – enabling us to predict financial outcomes of brand decisions. At the same time, championing specialist design craft, delivering bespoke solutions that deeply connect with human emotion. This means we can collectively deliver branding systems that drive business, move people and influence agentic choice.”
With over two decades at the business, Beckmann has played a central role in shaping Landor’s global growth strategy and expanding client and market development across the network.
Meanwhile, Higgins has spent over two decades at Ogilvy, most recently leading its consulting business in EMEA, and will lead a more connected approach to client leadership, with Geraghty and Design Bridge & Partners Global CEO, John Morris, across the group’s portfolio of brands, bringing deep experience advising global organisations on growth, transformation and customer strategy.
Beckmann said: “This structure is about bringing together deep expertise across brand, design and experience in a way that’s more connected, more agile and more impactful.”
“It allows us to move more fluidly across capabilities and markets – connecting the right thinking around the client’s problem, rather than asking clients to navigate our structure.”
Higgins also commented on her new appointment.
“In today’s era of the algorithm, brands need to be optimized for machines, strategically positioned in fast-changing markets, and crafted for human connection to capture growth. I’m delighted to join WPP Brand & Design to help our clients and teams realize this exciting potential, connecting our deep expertise from brand consulting and strategy to design, experience, and innovation to ultimately deliver growth and brand value.”
The new leadership structure reflects a wider shift in how organisations are approaching brand.
“After years of prioritising short-term performance, many organisations are now rebalancing towards brand as a driver of long-term growth – recognising that without clear differentiation, they risk becoming invisible in an increasingly automated market,” said Geraghty.
