High-Profile Move: WPP’s Coca-Cola Agency Chief Jumps to Publicis Amid Major Shifts

Laurent Ezekiel, WPP’s Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and CEO of the bespoke Coca-Cola agency Open X, is making a significant career move to Publicis Groupe. This transition comes shortly after Publicis secured Coca-Cola’s North American media account, a deal worth $700 million.

A Strategic Departure

Ezekiel’s exit was confirmed through an internal memo from Coca-Cola’s global CMO, Manuel 'Manolo' Arroyo, highlighting his role in architecting the WPP Open X marketing model. This model was designed to unify talent across various disciplines including creative, media, production, and influencer marketing.

The Backdrop of the Move

This shift is part of a larger trend, with major brands like Mars and Paramount also moving their media accounts from WPP to Publicis. Despite these changes, Coca-Cola has renewed other significant elements of its partnership with WPP, praising initiatives like StudioX, which focuses on creating localized marketing assets.

What’s Next for WPP?

Ezekiel’s departure adds to the list of high-profile exits at WPP, including the upcoming departure of CEO Mark Read, who will be succeeded by Microsoft executive Cindy Rose. WPP has assured that a successor for Ezekiel will be announced shortly.

Rose brings decades of brand and tech experience to WPP’s top job.