Laurent Ezekiel Departs WPP for Publicis After Key Client Losses
In a big shake-up in the world of advertising, Laurent Ezekiel has left WPP and joined Publicis. This news comes after WPP lost several major clients in recent months. Ezekiel, once seen as a key leader at WPP, is now switching sides to work with one of its biggest rivals.
Why does this matter? Because top leaders don’t just change jobs for no reason. When someone at this level makes a move, it often signals bigger changes behind the scenes, maybe in strategy, growth, or even company culture.
As people working in or watching the marketing world, we need to ask: What pushed him to leave? What does Publicis gain? And what does WPP lose?
Let’s explore the background and understand what it could mean for both companies and the future of agency business.
Background on Laurent Ezekiel
Laurent Ezekiel has had a long and varied career in advertising. He spent 16 years at Publicis Groupe in senior roles, including president of Digitas North America and global client lead for global brands like GSK and Samsung.
In 2019, he joined WPP as its first global Chief Marketing Officer and later became CEO of Open X, WPP’s bespoke unit for Coca‑Cola, following a major account win. Open X was designed to deliver creative, media, social, influencer, and production services in an integrated way.
Reasons for Departure
Ezekiel’s exit comes amid a wave of high-profile client losses at WPP. In early 2025, Coca‑Cola shifted its $700 million North American media account from WPP to Publicis. Soon after, Mars moved its $1.7 billion global media account over to Publicis, followed by Paramount’s business as well. These moves stripped WPP of some of its biggest sources of revenue. WPP then issued a profit warning due to weak client spending and fewer new deals, while cutting its 2025 outlook and experiencing the lowest stock levels since 2009.
WPP also faces internal change. CEO Mark Read is set to step down by year‑end, with Cindy Rose from Microsoft confirmed as his successor. All this creates pressure and instability. For someone like Ezekiel, who helped build Open X and shaped WPP’s growth strategy, the shift may have felt like stepping onto shaky ground.
Laurent Ezekiel: New Role at Publicis
The exact title and role of Ezekiel at Publicis have not yet been disclosed. But his return is widely seen as a strategic hiring by the French giant, especially after it landed big accounts like Coca‑Cola, Mars, and Paramount. It taps into his deep experience with those clients and the agency world.
We expect Publicis to leverage his leadership to strengthen its position further. Ezekiel brings a track record of building agile, integrated teams and scaling talent across continents. His return to the company where he spent 16 years is both symbolic and tactical.
Industry Reactions
Industry analysts have been quick to comment. Many see this as another blow to WPP’s reputation and momentum. One source noted that Ezekiel’s move compounds WPP’s string of setbacks. Publicis, meanwhile, is riding a wave of growth.
Analysts highlight that agencies now face top challenges: client retention, revenue growth, adapting to market changes, and winning new business. In WPP’s case, failure on several fronts seems to have hurt both client confidence and employee morale.
Broader Context: Agency Landscape
The advertising business is shifting fast. Technology and AI now shape how campaigns are built and delivered. Clients expect measurable ROI and integrated solutions from a single partner. Holding companies like Publicis have invested in data and tech. Publicis acquired Epsilon to boost its capabilities and has seen 5.9% organic growth in Q2. WPP has lagged in integrating AI tools, and its internal platform, WPP Open, hasn’t yet delivered strong results.
Publicis has overtaken WPP in both revenue and market value. Competition is heating further: Interpublic and Omnicom are merging, creating a new giant. All these points lead to a world where stronger, tech-armed agencies attract client budgets and top talent.
Future Outlook
We see this move as more than just one executive change. It signals a turning point in the agency race. For Publicis, Ezekiel could help deepen wins with big global clients and drive further growth. For WPP, replacing him is urgent not only to stabilize Coca‑Cola’s Open X operations but to restore leadership certainty.
Incoming CEO Cindy Rose faces a tough task: rebuild trust, stop client losses, and regroup new business. Observers say WPP may need radical restructuring or fresh acquisitions to bounce back. Others suggest it must simplify its agency model and reduce bureaucracy to regain momentum.
Bottom Line
WPP has lost major accounts, its CMO, and faces new leadership at a moment of strategic challenge. Meanwhile, Publicis is gaining ground and talent. Ezekiel’s return to Publicis isn’t just a career move. It may reflect a larger shift in power between the world’s biggest ad holding companies. As agencies fight to keep clients and staff, agile thinking and tech investment look more crucial than ever.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
As of 2025, the CEO of WPP is Mark Read. He became CEO in 2018 and helped lead WPP’s global advertising and marketing business.
Sir Martin Sorrell was the former head and founder of WPP. He grew the company into a global ad giant before stepping down in 2018.
Disclaimer:
This is for information only, not financial advice. Always do your research.