Brian Lesser Returns to Lead GroupM as Global CEO

Brian Lesser, a seasoned Madison Avenue executive with extensive experience in senior media-investment roles, has been appointed as the global CEO of WPP’s GroupM media firm. This position is highly influential in managing the flow of advertisers’ funds. Lesser replaces Christian Juhl, who, after five years as CEO, will transition to a new role as President of corporate development at WPP. Lesser’s return comes at a time when parts of GroupM have been under scrutiny, with several changes in its senior U.S. leadership positions in recent years.

Mark Read, CEO of WPP, praised Lesser as one of the industry’s most respected executives with a proven track record in data- and technology-driven marketing. Read noted that Lesser has an in-depth understanding of GroupM and a clear vision for its future, expressing excitement about his return to WPP.

Lesser recently departed from Infosum, an ad-tech company he co-founded, where he served as chairman and CEO. He reenters WPP after previously leading AT&T’s advertising and analytics unit, Xandr, which is now part of Microsoft. During his tenure at AT&T, Lesser focused on leveraging the acquisitions of Time Warner and DirecTV to innovate in advertising linked to consumer data and behaviors.

Lesser’s initial tenure at WPP began with the acquisition of 24/7 Real Media in 2007. He established the Media Innovation Group, developing addressable advertising products and technology for GroupM, including one of the industry’s first data management platforms. In 2011, he founded Xaxis, the programmatic media buying platform now part of GroupM’s media performance organization, GroupM Nexus.

Lesser expressed his excitement about rejoining GroupM as CEO, highlighting his admiration for the organization’s culture of innovation and collaboration. He looks forward to working with talented colleagues, industry partners, and global clients to drive future success.

Christian Juhl became GroupM’s CEO in November 2019 after serving as CEO of Essence, the digital media agency WPP acquired in 2015. In his new role, Juhl will focus on various strategic development aspects for WPP.

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