Brian Lesser was named Global CEO of GroupM, the big media buying company that is part of WPP.
Lesser, who had been CEO of GroupM in North America from 2015 to 2017, will assume his new post in September.
He succeeds Christian Juhl, who will become president, corporate development, for WPP.
“Brian is one of the industry’s most highly regarded executives with a track record of success in data- and technology-driven marketing,“ WPP CEO Mark Read said. “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.”
Lesser left GroupM to become CEO of AT&T Advertising & Analytics, which became Xandr. He departed Xandr after AT&T bought Time Warner and combined the ad-tech unit with WarnerMedia. Xandr was later sold by AT&T to Microsoft.
He recently stepped down as chairman and CEO of Infosum, which he joined in 2020.
“WPP and GroupM are special organizations to me,“ Lesser said. “I have experienced firsthand the culture of innovation and collaboration that leads to exceptional work for advertisers. I look forward to building with my talented colleagues, collaborating with our industry partners, and investing with our fantastic roster of global clients.”
Juhl became CEO of GroupM in November 2019, promoted from CEO of Essence, the digital media agency acquired by WPP in 2015.
As president, corporate development for WPP, he will work on various aspects of the agency holding company’s strategic development.
“I would like to thank Christian for his contribution to the success of Essence, GroupM, WPP and our clients over the last nine years,” Read said. “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.”
