WPP announces Brian Lesser as new global CEO of GroupM, succeeding Christian Juhl

Brian Lesser will take on the role in September. Source: Supplied.

New position

He succeeds Christian Juhl, who is stepping down after five years in the role. Juhl will take up a new position with WPP as President, Corporate Development.

Lesser spent 10 years with WPP including as CEO of GroupM in North America from 2015 to 2017. He will rejoin WPP and begin his new role with GroupM in September 2024. Juhl will continue in his existing role until then and support the transition as he moves to his new position.

Lesser first joined WPP with the acquisition of 24/7 Real Media in 2007. He went on to create the Media Innovation Group, building 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 which now forms part of GroupM’s media performance organisation, GroupM Nexus.

After leading GroupM in North America he joined AT&T as CEO of AT&T Advertising & Analytics, a $3bn business today known as Xandr. He took on his current role as CEO and Chairman of data company InfoSum in 2020.

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Throughout his career, Lesser has been at the forefront of technological advancements in the media industry, from the advent of programmatic advertising to the rise of connected TV. He is known for challenging the status quo to deliver better consumer experiences and more effective solutions for businesses.

Juhl became CEO of GroupM in November 2019, having previously held the same position at Essence, the digital media agency acquired by WPP in 2015. As President, Corporate Development for WPP he will work on various aspects of the company’s strategic development.

Significant growth

Under Juhl’s leadership GroupM has grown significantly, winning notable assignments and playing a critical role in WPP wins such as the partnership with The Coca-Cola Company.

GroupM has also changed and evolved to reflect the new world. It has simplified its structure, today serving its roster of world-leading clients primarily through three media agency brands (EssenceMediacom, Mindshare and Wavemaker); media performance organisation GroupM Nexus; and data product, service and technology company Choreograph. GroupM is the world’s leading media investment company, managing more than $60bn in annual media spend on behalf of its clients.

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Mark Read, CEO of WPP, said: “I would like to thank Christian for his contribution to the success of Essence, GroupM, WPP and our clients over the last nine years. He has built a strong foundation for the ongoing transformation of GroupM, the integration of its offer, and accelerated future growth. I look forward to working with him in his new WPP role.

“Brian is one of the industry’s most highly regarded executives with a track record of success in data- and technology-driven marketing. GroupM, its agencies and its brilliant people are in many respects the engine of WPP. Brian not only knows GroupM inside-out, but also has a strong vision for the future of the business. We are delighted to welcome him back to WPP.”

Lesser said: “WPP and GroupM are special organisations to me. I have experienced first-hand the culture of innovation and collaboration that leads to exceptional work for advertisers. I am thrilled to be rejoining GroupM as Chief Executive Officer. I look forward to building with my talented colleagues, collaborating with our industry partners, and investing with our fantastic roster of global clients.”

Juhl said: “It has been a privilege to lead this amazing business, to work alongside its incredibly talented people, and to partner with our wonderful clients around the world. We’ve achieved a huge amount together and I’m really proud of the progress GroupM has made towards its mission of making advertising work better for people. After five years the time is right for a fresh challenge, and I’m excited to get started in my new role with WPP. Brian is an exceptional leader and I’m happy he is rejoining the GroupM family.”