History of GroupM 2003-2025: The world's largest media investment arm

Since joining in September 2024, GroupM global chief executive Brian Lesser has wasted no time in shaking up the WPP media arm's leadership and its structure in favour of becoming a "simpler" offer both internally and to clients.

He kicked off 2025 by axing global agency CEO roles at EssenceMediacom, Mindshare and Wavemaker and departures followed, among them former GroupM EMEA CEO Josh Krichefski. 

In May this was followed by Campaign learning of WPP's intent to drop the GroupM brand to become "WPP Media", and an internal memo sent by Lesser confirming that GroupM will be moving to “a single operating model” in which agency brands house dedicated client teams “but no longer operate as distinct business units."

As change rumbles on at GroupM, Campaign looks back at the media arm’s history.