Mark Read, chief executive officer, WPP, has announced the appointment of Brian Lesser as global CEO of GroupM.
Lesser will assume the role in September 2024. This will mark his return to the organisation after seven years, having held the role of CEO - North America, GroupM till 2017.

He succeeds Christian Juhl, who has been appointed president - corporate development, WPP.

He had joined GroupM in 2007, when WPP acquired 24/7 Real Media in 2007.

Read said, "I know him to be a builder and an innovator, having developed some of the earliest ad tech for agencies, and having founded Xaxis, the pioneering programmatic business. I also know him to be a leader and operator – he was CEO of GroupM in North America before leaving to first run Xandr, and then InfoSum. Brian understands our business and our clients."
 
He added, "Brian not only knows GroupM inside-out, but also has a strong vision for the future of the business, alongside the skills and experience clients need for success in modern marketing. I’m really excited to be working with him again. I’m also looking forward to working with Christian in his new role. Christian moved from Essence to become CEO of GroupM in 2019 and under his leadership the business has grown significantly. It has won many notable assignments and played a critical role in WPP wins such as our partnership with The Coca-Cola Company. Christian has built a strong foundation for the ongoing transformation of GroupM, the integration of its offer, and accelerated future growth – while maintaining its position as a world leader, managing more than $60 billion in annual media spend on behalf of its clients."