Coca-Cola's agency head and chief marketing officer at WPP, Laurent Ezekiel, has moved to Publicis.
In a surprising move, Laurent Ezekiel, the former Chief Marketing Officer and CEO of WPP's bespoke Coca-Cola agency, Open X, has decided to rejoin his former employer, Publicis Groupe. This departure comes at a time when WPP is facing significant client account shifts towards Publicis, including Coca-Cola's North American media business, Mars' global media account, and Paramount's similar move.
Ezekiel played a pivotal role in WPP's 2021 win of Coca-Cola's global integrated account and was instrumental in creating WPP Open X, a bespoke global agency for Coca-Cola. His departure marks a high-profile exit from WPP.
The exact details of Ezekiel’s new role at Publicis Groupe have not been disclosed. However, the move appears strategic following the loss of major accounts at WPP to Publicis. Ezekiel's return to Publicis reflects Publicis consolidating significant accounts and talent as competitive shifts continue in the advertising industry.
Meanwhile, Coca-Cola remains in partnership with WPP, despite Ezekiel's departure. The global CMO of Coca-Cola, Manuel "Manolo" Arroyo, confirmed Laurent Ezekiel's exit in a memo. Coca-Cola's $700 million North American media account was shifted out of WPP and given to Publicis in March.
WPP's longtime CEO, Mark Read, will step down in September, with Cindy Rose, an executive from Microsoft, set to replace him. Rose's arrival at WPP coincides with the agency issuing a shock profit warning following sluggish new business and client spending cuts.
Sources: [1] Ad Age [2] Campaign US [3] The Drum [4] Marketing Week [5] Adweek
In light of his departure, it can be assumed that Ezekiel's new role at Publicis Groupe might involve strategic finance and business decisions related to the management of key client assets, such as Coca-Cola's North American media business. With Ezekiel's return, Publicis Groupe further strengthens its position in the advertising industry by consolidating significant accounts and talent.
