Newly-merged agency Wunderman Thompson’s UK leadership team has been unveiled today, with Pip Hulbert, the former CEO of Wunderman UK, taking on the chief executive position.
Hulbert, who joined Wunderman in 2013, will report into global CEO Mel Edwards.
“Growth is at the heart of everything we do and Wunderman Thompson defines that,” Hulbert said. “I’m excited to lead an agency that fuses creativity, data and technology together to rethink business, culture and brand experiences.”
The former CEO of J. Walter Thompson London, James Whitehead, will move into a global client lead role for the merged WPP agency, and will assist with the UK team’s integration.
Also joining the UK team from their positions at Wunderman are Richard Dunn, who has been named both chief strategy officer and chairman, Rob Curran as chief experience officer, and Matt Steward as chief client officer.
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Meanwhile, appointments from the JWT side of the merger include the creative agency’s former director of client partnerships, Simone Forster, who joins as chief growth officer, and former marketing director Kate Muir, who has been named chief business development officer.
Steve Alridge, co-founder and former chairman of creative agency Partners Andrews Aldridge, completes the line-up as he takes up the role of chief creative officer.
Wunderman Thompson’s global CEO, Mel Edwards, said: “I’m excited to have Pip and this brilliant team lead our new agency in the UK. Each person will play an instrumental role in creating and building a type of business and culture that stands apart from others.
“I have no doubt that this leadership team will help bring these two iconic brands together seamlessly in the UK.”
Elsewhere, Wunderman’s UK & EMEA chief creative officer, Ian Haworth, has been been appointed global client creative lead.
Advertising giant WPP merged JWT – the world’s oldest ad agency at 154 years – with digital network Wunderman in November last year, positioning it as a creative, data and technology agency providing end-to-end solutions at a global scale.
The JWT and Wunderman merger was the second agency fusion announced by WPP last year, following the resignation of founder Sir Martin Sorrell and a series of disappointing financial results.
New CEO Mark Read said at the time: “Clients want greater simplicity from their partners and this development, like others at WPP, is designed to reshape our company around their needs.”
