GroupM restructures global leadership team under CEO Brian Lesser

GroupM is restructuring its global leadership team under Global CEO Brian Lesser, the WPP media network announced. The shifts mark another step toward unifying the holding company’s media agencies around central teams and capabilities and includes adding two new roles: global chief client officer and global chief business officer. Lesser returned to GroupM in September, replacing former global CEO Christian Juhl. The restructuring marks the first major shuffle since Lesser’s appointment. The roles will report to Lesser, and a GroupM spokesperson said that no layoffs are associated with the leadership rework. Read Ad Age’s 2025 predictions stories here Adam Gerhart will take on the global chief client officer role. Gerhart will oversee GroupM’s top accounts and client growth strategies, also working in collaboration with leadership at WPP. Gerhart is currently global CEO for GroupM’s Mindshare, where he has worked for over two decades. Toby Jenner will become global chief business officer. Jenner will oversee GroupM’s market growth, marketing and integrations across WPP. Jenner is currently global president of GroupM clients and global CEO of Wavemaker. Jenner previously held positions at GroupM’s MediaCom (now part of EssenceMediacom), marking nearly 20 years with the GroupM agencies. Look back: Get to know GroupM’s Brian Lesser Three presidents for global client solutions will oversee global operations and multinational clients for Mindshare, EssenceMediacom and Wavemaker. Michael Karg and Ruth Stubbs will assume these roles on an interim basis for Mindshare and Wavemaker and Frances Ralston-Good will continue to oversee EssenceMediacom’s global operations during the transition to the new model, a GroupM spokesperson said. Agencies will continue to be operated at the country level by their market CEOs. Additionally, Mark Patterson will become global president of markets and business operations. Patterson was previously global chief operating officer for GroupM. In the new role, Patterson will oversee the APAC and Latin American markets as well as “investment governance and the expansion of our offshore capabilities and entertainment and sports offer,” according to information from GroupM. Filling the global chief operating officer role will be Emily Del Greco, who joins from consultancy McKinsey and Company where she led commerce media and advertising practices. Del Greco has also held positions in ad sales and data leadership at Google, MightyHive (now S4’s Monks) and Viant DSP Adelphic. Del Greco will lead operations, partnerships, strategy and corporate development, and will oversee activation and investment teams.

GroupM restructures its leadership team under global CEO

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