AKQA restructures into three P&Ls, names CEOs to lead them

Brian Vella, managing partner in APAC, is now chief executive of the region.

whatsapp 0 whatsapp 0 Facebook 0 Tweet 0 linkedin 0

AKQA restructures into three P&Ls, names CEOs to lead them

AKQA has restructured the global agency into three P&Ls covering EMEA, the Americas and Asia-Pacific and appointed chief executives to run them.

Under the shake-up, Geoff Northcott, chief experience officer and managing partner on AKQA’s executive board with responsibility for Europe, has been promoted to chief executive of EMEA. He will be based in London in the role.

Tesa Aragones, president of North America, has been named chief executive of Americas, and Brian Vella, managing partner in APAC, is now chief executive of the region.

A global executive committee, led by Stephan Pretorius, interim chair of AKQA and chief technology officer at WPP, has been appointed to oversee the changes.

Laura Maness, global chief executive of Grey, and Aragones, Northcott and Vella are also on the newly created executive committee. Other members include four chief creative officers—Shu Hung, Diego Machado, Hugo Viega and Peter Lund—chief financial officer Jon Eggar and chief people officer Amy Oliver.

The restructure is designed to “unify operations and services” in response to “increased client demand for integrated capabilities, at global scale, that address business challenges with agility and cross-functional expertise”.

The changes do not impact AKQA’s current relationship with Grey Group. The two combined in five markets in March this year.

The overhaul comes after a series of exits from AKQA in the wake of founder Ajaz Ahmed’s departure. The process to appoint a new chief executive for AKQA is “progressing well and an announcement will be made in due course."

Pretorius said: "This new structure marks a bold step forward for AKQA, enabling us to bring the best of AKQA globally to all our clients. AKQA has long been known for its innovation and cutting-edge products and services—the ability to think without limits and develop unchartered solutions.

“Now it is poised to set new standards for delivering exceptional client work in the age of AI. By leveraging WPP Open, AKQA will further augment its creativity, drive more impactful business solutions for clients, and help shape the industry's future.”

A chief technology officer and chief strategy officer are also due to be hired to the global executive committee in early 2025.

Source:

Campaign UK