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WPP has made a significant leadership change at its struggling media giant, GroupM, replacing global CEO Christian Juhl with veteran GroupM executive Brian Lesser.
Lesser previously served as GroupM CEO in North America from 2015-17 and founded Xaxis, WPP’s programmatic media buying platform, in 2011. He later became CEO of AT&T Advertising & Analytics, now known as Xandr, and is currently the CEO and chairman of data company InfoSum. Juhl will transition to a new role as WPP’s president of corporate development.
GroupM, which encompasses several media agencies, is primarily driven by EssenceMediacom, a merger between Juhl’s tech-focused Essence and the long-standing growth engine Mediacom. In 2022, WPP CEO Mark Read made the controversial decision to prioritize the smaller, tech-dependent Essence over the more established Mediacom, a move that puzzled many observers. Despite some shifts in the media landscape, the consensus remains that Mediacom should have taken the lead in this arrangement.
The newly appointed CEO, Lesser, expressed his enthusiasm for returning to GroupM, stating, “WPP and GroupM hold a special place for me. I have witnessed the culture of innovation and collaboration that drives exceptional results for advertisers. I am excited to rejoin GroupM as Chief Executive Officer and look forward to working with my talented colleagues, collaborating with industry partners, and investing alongside our fantastic global clients.”
Juhl reflected on his tenure, saying, “It has been a privilege to lead this remarkable organization, to work with its incredibly talented people, and to collaborate with our wonderful clients worldwide. We’ve accomplished a great deal together, and I’m proud of the progress GroupM has made towards its mission of improving advertising for people. After five years, I’m ready for a new challenge and eager to start my new role with WPP. Brian is an outstanding leader, and I’m pleased he is rejoining the GroupM family.”
While these statements present a positive outlook, the reality is that GroupM is facing significant challenges as competitors Publicis and Omnicom continue to outperform it. Omnicom recently reported Q2 organic revenue growth of 5.2%, while WPP, set to report in early August, is expected to show flat or no growth. This major leadership change at GroupM appears to be a strategic move in anticipation of these results.