GroupeM CEO Brian Lesser unveiled a new world management structure and team Tuesday for the holding company’s media investment arm WPP.
Lesser spoke with ADWEEK earlier this month and said he was “very eager” to advance GroupM’s business, adding that he believed GroupM needed to move “from a collection of companies to one company” by streamlining methodologies planning, activating and measuring with data and technology under its belt. base, and that it will need to reorganize and acquire assets to streamline its strategies, but not simply to achieve greater scale.
Lesser returned to GroupM last September, after leading AT&T’s new advertising business and serving as CEO of data company InfoSum. Lesser had served as North American CEO of GroupM from 2015 to 2017.
Emily Del Greco will join GroupM in February as global chief operating officer, overseeing the company’s operations, partnerships, strategy, corporate development, and activation and investment practices. She had been a partner at McKinsey & Co. for five years.
Adam GerhartMindshare CEO of WPP and 20-year agency veteran, will become Global Client Director at GroupM, overseeing key accounts and client engagement strategy across agencies globally, and working in close partnership with WPP.
Toby Jenner, GroupM’s global president of clients, has been named global chief commercial officer, responsible for the company’s go-to-market proposition, growth, marketing and cross-WPP integration projects.
Mark Patterson, Global COO and 19-year veteran of GroupM, is now Global President, Markets and Business Operations, overseeing the Asia Pacific and Latin America markets and leading business initiatives including capacity expansion offshore of the company and its entertainment and sports offerings.
GroupM said there were no departures from the company due to the changes announced Tuesday, and Global Chief Financial Officer Stuart Diamond, Global Chief Human Resources Officer Marie-Claire Barker, North America CEO . Sharb FarjamiJosh Krichefski, CEO of EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), and Cesar Recalde, CEO of Latin America, will continue their roles as part of its global leadership team.
The company added that global agency operations will be managed by a President for Global Client Solutions, who will oversee delivery to global and multinational clients in each agency.
