WPP reveals new COO and Ogilvy CEO as new era gets underway
Laurent Ezekiel, Cindy Rose and Devika Bulchandani
WPP has a series of new senior leaders in the wake of its chief operating officer Andrew Scott stepping down, and new CEO Cindy Rose beginning her post last week.
Scott first joined WPP back in 1999 as director of corporate development, and went on to hold various roles over the years, including COO of the Europe operation, and then global COO from 2018 onwards. Last week, on the first day of new CEO Cindy Rose’s tenure, he announced he would step down at the end of the year.
Scott will be replaced as COO by current global CEO of the Ogilvy agency, Devika Bulchandani.
Bulchandani had been president of McCann New York before joining Ogilvy in March 2021 as global president as well as CEO for its North American business. In September 2022, she was promoted to global CEO of Ogilvy.
WPP said, during her tenure leading Ogilvy, Bulchandani had cemented its position as one of the world’s leading creative networks, strategically strengthened and modernised its core capabilities, diversified the network’s client roster, and consistently delivered creative ideas that were groundbreaking and solved complex business challenges for clients.
Bulchandani’s elevation to WPP COO left an opening to lead Ogilvy, which will be filled by Laurent Ezekiel.
Ezekiel joined WPP in 2019 as chief marketing and growth officer. In 2021, he became CEO of WPP Open X, the holding group’s creative, media, social, influencer, commerce, PR, data and technology outfit specifically created to support The Coca-Cola Company’s marketing transformation. The Coca-Cola Company renewed its partnership with the bespoke agency in May.
Stepping into his shoes as leader of WPP Open X is Floriane Tripolino, a former CEO of Publicis Groupe in Japan who joined WPP in 2020. Most recently, she has been leading the group’s account for global food and beverage giant Nestlé.
Rose, WPP’s new CEO who took over from Mark Read this month, said the three appointments underscore WPP’s commitment to delivering unparalleled value and innovation.
“Devika’s deep obsession with helping our clients grow and win will help us accelerate our growth across the entire WPP landscape. Laurent’s close, successful partnership with The Coca-Cola Company and creation of WPP Open X gives him valuable insight and experience to help navigate the needs of our largest clients, many of which are housed in Ogilvy.
“These leaders embody the strategic vision and creative excellence that define WPP. Their collective expertise will play a crucial part in helping me drive WPP to our next phase of growth and ensuring our clients continue to win in a rapidly evolving market,” she said.
Bulchandani added: “I have been the luckiest person in the world, to have the best job in the world as Ogilvy’s CEO – and I’m immensely proud of what we’ve achieved together as a team. Having partnered closely with Laurent, I’ve seen firsthand his unparalleled ability to drive growth and champion creative excellence. I can’t think of a better leader to partner with Liz Taylor, our chief creative officer, and our leadership team to guide Ogilvy to even greater heights.
“As we all begin this next chapter at WPP, I’m energised by the immense potential ahead. I truly believe that when we seamlessly bring together WPP’s world-class capabilities, we become an invincible force – one that unlocks unparalleled value for our clients. I look forward to collaborating with Cindy and leaders across WPP to amplify that impact and drive even greater success for our partners.”
