WPP has promoted Japan CEO, Kyoko Matsushita to lead WPP Creative APAC.
As part of Kyoko’s previous role as the head of WPP in Japan, she was tasked with identifying growth opportunities and driving greater collaboration and cooperation across WPP agencies.
Before taking the reigns in Japan she was the global CEO for Essence Global—WPP’s global data and measurement-driven full-service media agency, with 23 offices in 12 countries. Kyoko joined Essence in 2014 as the first CEO of the APAC region.
She took to LinkedIn to make the announcement:
“I’m thrilled and humbled to share that I’m stepping into a new adventure as WPP Creative APAC CEO.
“WPP Creative is home to some of WPP’s most celebrated agencies: VML, Ogilvy, Burson, AKQA, Landor, Design Bridge and Partners and more. This role, at the exhilarating intersection of technology, creativity, and culture, feels like a culmination of my career and I look forward to working with talented teams across these agencies to reimagine growth and become the most trusted partner for our clients.
“My journey has been incredibly rewarding, shaped by diverse experiences across brand, communications, technology, creative, and media agencies. Having lived and worked across Europe, the US, and now APAC, I’ve gained a deep appreciation for global markets and varied perspectives. These experiences have fuelled my passion for pushing boundaries, championing data, technology, and most importantly, our incredible talent. Innovation and fostering diverse, inclusive environments have always been at the core of my leadership.
“Now, I’m excited to take on this new challenge across the dynamic and vibrant Asia Pacific region. APAC is a hotbed of creativity and potential, and my varied global and industry experiences only reinforce my belief in the immense possibilities here. By bringing together our collective ingenuity and diverse perspectives, we can unlock unparalleled growth for our clients and our people.
“To everyone across WPP and our partners in APAC, I can’t wait to collaborate, learn, and co-create the future of creativity with you. Let’s inspire, transform, and make magic happen!”
WPP Creative told B&T that the announcement aligns with it’s “recent Strategy Update”, where WPP revealed it is “creating a lean regional leadership team to develop the WPP Creative operating model.”
“This model will support our creative, design, and PR agencies, including VML, Ogilvy, Burson, AKQA, Landor, Design Bridge & Partners, and others. The goal of the model is to enhance collaboration, expand capabilities, and make it easier for our clients to access our extensive talent through our iconic agencies.”
The recent strategy update labelled Elevate 28, aims to simplify the business to deliver fully integrated, AI-enabled solutions via WPP Open through four core operating divisions: WPP Media, WPP Creative, WPP Production and WPP Enterprise Solutions.
Matsushita will continue to work out of Tokyo, Japan.
