WPP Media appoints Stuart Bowden as strategy president of global clients

WPP Media has promoted Stuart Bowden to president, strategy and capabilities, global clients amid a global leadership shuffle.

Bowden was previously global chief strategy officer of WPP Open Door, the holding company’s bespoke unit servicing Amazon, and chief strategy and product officer at Wavemaker, part of WPP Media. 

He will report to Adam Gerhart, global chief client officer of WPP Media, in his new role. He previously reported to Toby Jenner, global chief business officer at WPP Media and former global chief executive of Wavemaker. 

Bowden will continue to be the lead strategist for WPP Open Door.

His appointment comes amid a reshuffle of leadership roles at WPP Media under chief executive Brian Lesser. The shake-up includes job title changes for chief executives at Wavemaker, EssenceMediacom, T&P and Mindshare, to reflect the removal of P&L responsibilities for all of WPP Media’s agency leaders enacted in May.

CEOs of Wavemaker, EssenceMediacom, T&P and Mindshare have taken on the title of “WPP Media president” and have responsibility for defined client portfolios aligned to each agency. The single P&L aims to "empower agency brands to operate as client service brands". 

Bowden's appointment is part of the implementation of a consistent operating model in which WPP will standardise titles across the business.

Teams across Communications Strategy, Applied Innovation, Platform Strategy, Insights and Business Strategy will be integrated under Bowden. 

Bowden has spent over 15 years at Wavemaker, including under previous names of the shop. He was named lead strategist for WPP Open Door in 2024 when WPP won the global media account for Amazon alongside Omnicom.

Bowden joined Mediaedge as head of planning in 2008, where he stayed for two years before leaving WPP to join Vizeum UK as chief strategy officer and deputy managing director. He then returned to WPP in 2011 as UK chief executive and managing director of a reformed Mediaedge, MEC. 

After almost five years, he became global chief strategy officer, and following the merger with Maxus, the shop became Wavemaker. In 2021, Bowden became chief strategy and product officer.

Bowden wrote on LinkedIn: "This incredible, integrated and AI-enabled team converts complexity into measurable business success for our global clients. I’m grateful to my new boss Adam Gerhart for the opportunity and to all my new team for your passion, provocation and support."

Before WPP, Bowden held several planning and strategy roles at BT, PHD, Grey Group and Carat.

WPP Media declined to comment.