Ogilvy Unveils a Global Restructuring to Kick Off Its ‘Next Chapter’

The changes were unveiled in an internal memo sent by Ogilvy & Mather Global CEO John Seifert to the agency’s many staffers. Acquired by Adweek, the memo details a networkwide restructuring and a number of leadership appointments across functions, clients and regions around the world.

The many changes together encapsulate Seifert’s most dramatic move since taking over for outgoing CEO Miles Young one year ago.

“Since speaking to you all in November, I have made it clear to our Executive Committee, [WPP CEO] Martin Sorrell, and the WPP Board that my number one priority as Worldwide Chairman and CEO will always be our people,” Seifert writes. “Today, I am pleased to formally announce some next chapter leadership appointments across functions, markets, and clients.”

In a new architecture comparable to the four worldwide “solutions hubs” announced by Publicis Groupe in late 2015, Seifert has created four “functions” to unify various disciplines across the larger Ogilvy organization under the groupings of Talent, Growth, Delivery and “Marketing, Communications and Change.”

Here’s the full memo, followed by summary of some of the key changes:

What is Ogilvy Delivery?

Perhaps most notable among Seifert’s many announcements was the creation of Ogilvy Delivery, which appears to offer a blend of production, project management and technology services all aimed at getting work out of the concept phase and into reality.

“Ogilvy Delivery revitalizes our commitment to the ‘art of making,’ focusing on the critical craft skills required to bring big ideas to life in film, digital experiences, social media, print,” Seifert writes.

Seifert describes the operation as having three pillars: a Program Management Office, a “studio ecosystem” encompassing production teams around the world and a new, unspecified technology model. Former OgilvyOne worldwide president and Chief Operating Officer Günther Schumacher will lead this team as worldwide chief delivery officer, partnering with Chief Technology Officer Mike Tidmarsh on the tech aspects of the new function.

New Roles for Diversity, Growth and Communications

Worldwide Chief Talent Officer Scott Murphy will lead the Talent division, managing human resources, diversity & inclusion, learning & development and talent acquisition. As part of this move, Seifert also promoted senior partner, executive director of L&D Diane Fakhouri and senior partner, chief diversity officer Lauren Pedro to lead the global learning and diversity divisions.

Paul Heath, worldwide executive director and chief growth officer, will partner with Ogilvy Public Relations worldwide chief business development officer Suresh Raj to manage the Growth function and “ensure that [Ogilvy’s] markets, specialist units, and global client leaders are equipped with the talent, tools, and modern marketing expertise necessary to fuel enterprise growth.”

Seifert has chosen worldwide CMO Lauren Crampsie to help create “the next chapter Ogilvy brand experience” as the head of the Marketing, Communications and Change function. She will help develop a “One Ogilvy” branded marketing effort across global offices to help strengthen the network as a brand unto itself.

Ogilvy Public Relations global Chief Communications Officer Jennifer Risi will serve directly under Crampsie and manage all media relations functions while partnering with managing director of marketing and content Nikolaj Birjukow on self-promotional initiatives. Crampsie will also now become senior adviser on the worldwide executive committee.

Seifert’s memo also includes several regional leadership changes.

• Former Ogilvy East chief Lou Aversano will become CEO of Ogilvy USA, with global PR CEO Stuart Smith heading up the Western division throughout 2017 as the two eventually become one integrated group. This larger unification has been in the works since September, when Seifert tasked Aversano with bringing all North American operations together under a single P&L.
• Laurie Young was promoted to CEO of Ogilvy Canada last December.
• In the Asia Pacific region, Ogilvy PR Singapore managing director EeRong Chong will oversee all operations in that country along with Chairman Chris Riley
• Former Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific Group CMO David Mayo, a 15-year veteran of the network, has been promoted to CEO of Ogilvy Malaysia.
• Katryna Mojica will succeed Adam O’Conner as chief executive of Ogilvy Hong Kong, while the latter executive works with the regional brand management community in a new role.
• Former Mexico CEO Horacio Genolet became chief executive of Ogilvy Latina last November, with Marcos Golfari retaining the chairman role for Latin America. Chief creative officer César Agost Carreño and vp Verónica Hernández will succeed him as co-CEOs.
• Longtime Fred & Farid partner and managing director Emmanuel Ferry will now lead Ogilvy’s Paris office, reporting to Ogilvy France president Natalie Rastoin.
• Ogilvy CommonHealth CEO and chairman Matt Giegerich will resign after 17 years leading that agency. His operation had been merged into a larger WPP group called WPP Health & Wellness.
• Strategic consultancy group OgilvyRED will expand across all existing markets, with more offices planned in 2017, with founder Carla Hendra helping to develop a growth plan for Ogilvy’s global health and wellness business. A new “Ogilvy Center for Behavioral Science” will be led by former PR CEO and chairman Chris Graves.

On the client side, Seifert promoted several executives to become members of the Ogilvy Global Brand Management team.

• Ogilvy Japan president Todd Krugman will lead global client services for IBM.
• Worldwide managing director Philip Heimann, who had been leading the Coca-Cola business since 2008, will now lead SC Johnson around the world.
• Nancy Hannon, who resigned from her position at Leo Burnett Chicago last November to join the Ogilvy team, has been named executive creative director on the same account.
• Ogilvy UK CCO Emma de la Fosse will lead global creative on Kimberly-Clark Adult and Feminine Care with Chicago ecd Chris Turner heading up Huggies.

Others have been promoted to “global executive leader” roles. They include Jamie Prieto, who will lead American Express; Paul Heath, whose clients include Unilever, Mondelez and Ford; OgilvyOne Worldwide chairman and CEO Brian Fetherstonhaugh; Paul O’Donnell, who adds Allianz and Siemens to his list of clients along with Phillips; the aforementioned Horacio Genolet, who now leads Coca-Cola around the world.

In conclusion, Seifert writes that more such news will break soon: “I get more excited about the opportunity in front of us with every interaction I have with the amazing people in this company.”

The affects of this extensive series of changes on the day-to-day operations of Ogilvy offices around the world will fall into place throughout 2017 and beyond as the WPP agency aims to cement a consistency that has led the Cannes Lions to name it global network of the year every year since 2011.