Geometry names new global CEO

WPP brand experience and activation agency Geometry has announced that Steve Harding will step down as global chief executive, to be succeeded by Beth Ann Kaminkow, currently CEO of Kantar Consulting Americas.

Harding, who has been CEO for six years and with WPP for 14, has decided to move on from the business, the company said.

Kaminkow will start at the beginning of April, and Harding will remain with the company until summer to ensure a smooth transition.

Kaminkow joined Kantar Vermeer as global CEO in 2016 and has spent the last few years at Kantar Consulting. Prior to Kantar, she was global CMO at Westfield Corp. She has also worked at Omnicom, most recently as CEO of TracyLocke.

Harding led the merger of OgilvyAction, G2 and JWTAction that created Geometry six years ago.

“Since Geometry was formed in 2013, Steve has led the company with passion and determination," Mark Read, CEO of WPP, said in a release. "I would like to thank him for his stewardship of the business, and for the central role he played in combining three separate entities to create a world leader in its field."

Read added that Kaminkow's move is a testament to the strength of the WPP network and its talent.

Harding said "the time is right to hand over the leadership reins", adding that the company has begun a process of transformation that will ensure Geometry’s continued relevance and success.

"I am very much looking forward to joining Geometry and building on the success it has already achieved under Steve’s leadership," Kaminkow said. "Managing change needs to be a core competency for agencies in this time of rapidly shifting consumer behaviour – putting our clients’ needs at the heart of all that we do, and their customers at the core of our services."