George P. Johnson Internal Email Announces Sudden Departure of President Denise Wong

It is unclear what opportunity led Wong to leave GPJ.

In an internal memo sent to employees, Project Worldwide-owned agency George P. Johnson (GPJ) announced the unexpected departure of president Denise Wong, several sources informed Adweek.

Through a representative, GPJ CEO Chris Meyer confirmed the news in an email to Adweek, saying Wong was leaving “for another opportunity.” The representative declined to say what that opportunity is or when her last day will be.

“Yes, Denise Wong is leaving the company for another opportunity,” wrote Meyer. “Because of the depth and strength of our management team, we have no immediate plans to replace her position. We wish her well in her new endeavor.”

According to her LinkedIn profile, Wong was named president of GPJ in October 2012 and has lead its nine North American offices from Los Angeles since, overseeing creative teams, strategic planners, account management and operations groups.

The agency, which has had a longtime presence in the events and activations space, said in a statement at the time of her hiring that Wong was hired to bring “fresh thinking” to clients in automotive, technology, CPG, healthcare and financial services, among other markets. She had spent more than 20 years in the ad industry prior to the appointment, notably as senior vice president of Interpublic’s McCann Canada, known then as MacLaren McCann.

Wong held similar roles at various other top agencies, including Grey Worldwide, G2 (the predecessor to WPP’s Geometry Global), J Walter Thompson, Ogilvy and DDB.

GPJ employs some 1,400 workers at its 30 offices worldwide. The shop has produced work for many of the top auto brands, including Nissan, Acura, Dodge, Mazda, Toyota and Honda, plus other clients like IBM, AT&T, Under Armour and P&G.

Lindsay Rittenhouse

@kitten_mouse

Lindsay Rittenhouse is a staff writer at Adweek, where she specializes in covering the world of agencies and their clients.