WPP's global strategy director for Danone joins Ogilvy

Melanie Huggins has returned to Ogilvy’s French hub, as the agency looks to reinforce its focus on strategy and international business.

As chief strategy officer, Huggins has joined the executive steering committee and leads Ogilvy’s department of multidisciplinary planners from diverse backgrounds.

She wishes to further “establish the best, most diverse, multicultural planning department in France” – an approach she explained “isn’t because diversity is nice”, but rather because it is “a business imperative”.

Huggins, who was educated in the UK and has spent most of her career in France, returns to Ogilvy Paris after a stint at WPP, where she was responsible for leading the wider strategy of Danone brands including Activia.

Prior to that, she was the global strategic lead for Nespresso at McCann Worldgroup and served as creative and content excellence director at The Coca-Cola Company.

Huggins worked as European planning director for the Motorola account at Ogilvy from 2003 to 2005.

On her decision to return to the agency, she said: “The Ogilvy network is on fire, delivering borderless creativity at the heart of its offer, putting us in a strong position to manage both global and local brands.”

Mathieu Plassard, chief executive of Ogilvy Paris, added: “Melanie’s experience made her hire a strategic weapon in our culminating arsenal of talent at Ogilvy Paris.”