WPP has appointed Brian Lesser as the new global CEO of GroupM. He will take over from Christian Juhl, who steps down after five years in the role.
Having previously spent ten years with WPP, including as CEO of GroupM in North America, Lesser will rejoin the company and step into his new role from September.
Lesser first joined WPP with the the acquisition of 24/7 Real Media in 2007, and went on to create the Media Innovation Group and build addressable advertising products.
After leading GroupM in North America he joined AT&T as CEO of AT&T Advertising and Analytics, during which time he took on his current role as CEO and chairman of data company InfoSum in 2020.
Lesser will take on a well-oiled business, with Juhl’s successes including an array of notable assignments and wins, including bringing Coca-Cola on board.
Subscribe to Marketing Beat for free
Sign up here to get the latest marketing news sent straight to your inbox each morning
“I would like to thank Christian for his contribution to the success of Essence, GroupM, WPP and our clients over the last nine years,” said WPP CEO Mark Read. “He has built a strong foundation for the ongoing transformation of GroupM, the integration of its offer, and accelerated future growth. I look forward to working with him in his new WPP role.”
Read added that Lesser is one of the industry’s “most highly regarded executives, with a track record of success in data- and technology-driven marketing”.
“GroupM, its agencies and its brilliant people are in many respects the engine of WPP. Brian not only knows GroupM inside-out, but also has a strong vision for the future of the business. We are delighted to welcome him back to WPP,” he continued.
Commenting on his appointment as CEO, Lesser said: “I have experienced first-hand the culture of innovation and collaboration that leads to exceptional work for advertisers.”
“I am thrilled to be rejoining GroupM as chief executive officer. I look forward to building with my talented colleagues, collaborating with our industry partners, and investing with our fantastic roster of global clients.”
Meanwhile Juhl described his time at WPP as a “privilege”, noting that the team had achieved huge amounts together.
“After five years the time is right for a fresh challenge, and I’m excited to get started in my new role with WPP. Brian is an exceptional leader and I’m happy he is rejoining the GroupM family,” he said.
