GroupM axes global agency CEO roles in major centralisation push

GroupM has carried out a dramatic restructure, including axing the global agency chief executive roles at its three networks, EssenceMediacom, Mindshare and Wavemaker, as part of a major centralisation push.

Brian Lesser, global chief executive of GroupM since September, has made a string of appointments that reflect how he is moving power and decision-making to the centre of WPP’s media-buying division and away from the agency brands.

GroupM stressed there will be “no exits” of senior personnel as part of the shake-up, which is effective immediately.

The most eye-catching appointment has seen Lesser recruit Emily Del Greco, a partner at management consulting firm McKinsey, as global chief operating officer of GroupM. She joins in February. She previously worked at Google, including as global head, audience data commercialisation, and Mighty Hive, part of S4 Capital, as president, Americas.

Del Greco “will work closely” with Lesser on “operationalising our vision for the future”, GroupM said, adding: “She will be responsible for operations, partnerships, strategy, and corporate development across Group M and will oversee our activation and investment practices.”

It is thought Del Greco has already been working with WPP and GroupM. A GroupM spokesperson declined to comment.

Among the other key changes, Toby Jenner, the current global chief executive of Wavemaker and global president of clients at GroupM, moves to become global chief business officer of GroupM, and Adam Gerhart, the current global chief executive of Mindshare, becomes global chief client officer of GroupM.

EssenceMediacom, however, has no global chief executive at present after Nick Lawson stepped down in December.

GroupM still plans to operate the EssenceMediacom, Mindshare and Wavemaker brands and keep agency chief executives in key regions such as North America, EMEA and Latin America and in local markets.

Each network will have a new president for global client solutions, with interim appointments until GroupM has completed a formal appointment process.

Michael Karg will hold the role on an interim basis at Mindshare and Ruth Stubbs at Wavemaker. Frances Ralston-Good, the global chief operating officer of EssenceMediacom, will also hold a similar interim position.

The presidents of global client solutions at the three networks will report to Gerhart, according to a memo from Lesser.

“GroupM’s agencies remain fundamental to the way we service clients and will continue to be managed at the country level by their market CEOs,” GroupM said.

“Global agency operations will be managed by a president for global client solutions who will oversee delivery for global and multinational clients at each agency.”

Mark Patterson, who has been global COO of GroupM and will make way for Del Greco, becomes GroupM’s global president, markets and business operations and will oversee the APAC and LATAM markets. He will also drive “the expansion of our offshore capabilities”.

The new roles and appointments “reinforce our commitment to collaborating and winning as a unified team”, GroupM said. “They are designed to support the delivery of integrated solutions that ensure clients benefit fully from the investments we are making in data, technology, and our people.”

The company added: “There are no departures associated with this change. Stuart Diamond (CFO), Marie-Claire Barker (CPO), Sharb Farjami (CEO NA), Josh Krichefski (CEO EMEA), and Cesar Recalde (CEO LATAM) continue in their roles as part of Group M’s global leadership team.”

“My first 100 days back at GroupM have been remarkable—and today’s leadership announcement makes it even more special,” Lesser wrote in a post on LinkedIn.

“Together with our full leadership team, we’re building something extraordinary: seamless global solutions that unlock unprecedented value for our clients and partners.”

GroupM is the world’s biggest media-buying agency group, with about 44,000 staff and clients such as Amazon, Coca-Cola, Google and Unilever.

The WPP media unit has 28% share among the “big six” groups, ahead of Publicis Media on 24%, according to Comvergence data, but has been growing more slowly than its French rival in recent years.

Both groups face a potential threat from the Omnicom-Interpublic merger, which is due to complete later in 2025 and would give the combined US group about 30% share in media-buying.

Christian Juhl, the previous global chief executive of GroupM, made some moves towards centralising functions as part of a restructuring programme, called Synergy, and merged Essence and MediaCom in 2022. A source suggested the latest changes represent the continued evolution of that strategy.

Several rivals, including Publicis Groupe and Dentsu, have dropped global media agency CEO roles.