As Christian Juhl steps down as Global CEO of WPP owned media agency- GroupM, the Mark Read-led Creative Transformation company has announced the appointment of Brian Lesser as the new Global CEO of GroupM.
Juhl, who is stepping down after five years in the role, will now take up a new position with WPP as President, Corporate Development.
That being said, Brian, the newly appointed Global CEO of one of the world’s largest media agencies- GroupM, has spent 10 years with the holding company and served across a slew of roles including CEO of GroupM in North America from 2015 to 2017.
That being said, Lesser will rejoin WPP and begin his new role with GroupM in September 2024 and until then, Juhl will continue in his existing role and support the transition as the former moves to his new position.
Brian first joined WPP with the acquisition of 24/7 Real Media in 2007 and then went on to create the Media Innovation Group, building addressable advertising products and technology for GroupM, including one of the industry’s first data management platforms. In 2011, he founded Xaxis, the programmatic media buying platform which now forms part of GroupM’s media performance organization, GroupM Nexus.
After leading GroupM in North America, he joined AT&T as CEO of AT&T Advertising & Analytics, a $3 billion business today known as Xandr, and then went on to take on his current role as CEO and Chairman of data company InfoSum in 2020.
Throughout his career, he has been at the forefront of technological advancements in the media industry, from the advent of programmatic advertising to the rise of connected TV and is known for challenging the status quo to deliver better consumer experiences and more effective solutions for businesses.
Juhl, on the other hand, became the Global CEO of GroupM in November 2019, and had previously held the same position at Essence, the digital media agency acquired by WPP in 2015.
Under his leadership, GroupM has grown significantly by winning notable assignments and playing a critical role in WPP wins such as the partnership with The Coca-Cola Company.
Moreover, it has also changed and evolved to reflect the new world by simplifying its structure and serving its roster of world-leading clients primarily through three media agency brands (EssenceMediacom, Mindshare and Wavemaker); media performance organization GroupM Nexus; and data product, service and technology company Choreograph.
In his new role as President- Corporate Development for WPP, Juhl will work on various aspects of the company’s strategic development.
Commenting on the development, Mark Read, CEO, WPP, said, “I would like to thank Christian for his contribution to the success of Essence, GroupM, WPP and our clients over the last nine years. 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.”
“Brian 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 added.
To this, Brian Lesser, CEO, GroupM Global, added, “WPP and GroupM are special organizations to me. 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.”
Furthermore, Christian Juhl, President- Corporate Development, WPP, also mentioned, “It has been a privilege to lead this amazing business, to work alongside its incredibly talented people, and to partner with our wonderful clients around the world. We’ve achieved a huge amount together and I’m really proud of the progress GroupM has made towards its mission of making advertising work better for people. 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.”
